‘Recipe for chaos’: DepEd asked to scrap, suspend ‘rushed’ Matatag curriculum

July 29, 2024 , 09:09 PM

By Rodolfo Dacleson II

(July 29, 2024) – ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. France Castro urged the Department of Education (DepEd) on Monday to scrap or suspend the Matatag curriculum amid concerns about the excessive workload of teachers.

She said the curriculum would overwhelm already overworked teachers with an unsustainable workload.

“We cannot, in good conscience, implement a system that threatens to compromise the quality of education and the well-being of our educators,” said Castro in a media release.

She furthered that the Matatag curriculum is not feasible since the education sector is still facing shortages in classrooms, teachers, and learning materials.

“Our teachers are being asked to do more with less,” added Castro. “They’re expected to adapt to this new curriculum while simultaneously addressing learning gaps from the pandemic and coping with inadequate resources.”

According to the DepEd, the country had a shortage of nearly 160,000 classrooms during the academic year 2023-2024, a huge jump from the previous deficit of 91,000 classrooms. The agency also reported that over 89,000 teaching positions were vacant.

Last August, the Matatag curriculum was launched by the DepEd under the leadership of Vice Pres. Duterte-Carpio. She resigned from her post last month.

The initiative aimed to decongest the previous curriculum and resolve misplaced learning competencies from kindergarten to Grade 10. It will pilot in the current academic year for kindergarten, Grade 1, Grade 4, and Grade 7.

In particular, the Matatag curriculum will streamline five key areas, namely language, reading and literacy, mathematics, nationalism, and good manners and right conduct.

Filipino students rated poorly in reading, mathematics, and science in the Programme for International Student Assessment in 2022.

Castro said the Matatag curriculum lacked proper consultation and preparation, deeming its “rushed” implementation a “recipe for chaos and confusion.”

She also called on the DepEd, now headed by former senator Sonny Angara, to prioritize the capacity of teachers to deliver quality education over curriculum changes.

“Let’s focus on addressing the fundamental issues plaguing our education system— insufficient funding, lack of resources, and the need for better support for our educators,” said Castro.

(PM)

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