EVALUATING
THE
MATATAG
CURRICULUM
Submitted By: Cabuyoc,
Darrel L.
Submitted To:
Mr. Olin Jell Atregenio
The revised K–12 (Kinder to Grade 12) curriculum is expected to be presented by the
Department of Education (DepEd) by January 30.
This was reportedly one of the topics covered at a Tuesday Cabinet meeting presided over by
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., according to Malacanang press secretary Daphne Osea-Paez.
The Initiatives for inclusive learning, teacher assistance, and curriculum improvement were
given by the Secretary of Education, Vice President Inday Sara Duterte. According to a report by the
Philippine News Agency, the DepEd would unveil a new K–12 basic education curriculum on January
30.
The Philippines' current K–12 education system, which was put into place in 2012, consists of
kindergarten, six years of primary school, four years of junior high school, and two years of senior
high school. Its goal is to prepare graduates for tertiary education, the development of middle-level
skills, employment, and entrepreneurship.
It was actually necessary to update the current curriculum. The K–10 curriculum that was in
place at the time was found to be overburdened with topics and subjects that were neither required nor
sufficiently relevant to real-world situations.
The current curriculum was really in need to be revised. It is the outcome of the discovery
that the K–10 curriculum at the time was overcrowded with topics and lessons that were neither
necessary nor sufficiently applicable to real-world situations.
The K–10 program, which is part of the K–12 curriculum, has gotten stronger over the years,
but Filipino learners have also continued to perform poorly since there are too numerous subjects
offered, the lessons are too difficult for many students to understand, and there are too many subjects
overall. Lessons and other schoolwork that needed to be completed on time overburdened both
students and teachers. Additionally, students are under pressure to balance their personal lives with
their academic obligations.
As a result, the program had to undergo necessary revisions. It is believed that revising the
current K-10 curriculum will be an important way to make Filipino learners better and more well-
rounded, and ensure a brighter future for them.
Marcos had previously asked Duterte to carefully review the K-12 program, citing the need to
“develop” and “refine” the Philippines’ large talent pool.
He also wants the country's literacy rate to improve under his administration. In his first State
of the Nation Address last July, Marcos said the Philippines should rank better on international
rankings in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). It is emphasize after the
Department of Education recorded students who have poor reading skills and enhance their
mathematical abilities.
Also during the Cabinet meeting, Marcos asked the Department of Social Welfare and
Development to continue to be on high alert for severe weather.
Moreover, the K to 10 curriculum or the revised Matatag curriculum includes subjects that
focus on basic skills such as language, reading and literacy, math, makabansa and finally GMRC or
“Good Manners and Right Conduct”. The current K-10 curriculum includes 8 subjects. However, the
Matatag curriculum only includes 5 subjects. It is believed that the changes are simply about the
essential skills our young students need to learn. After there was information that some students were
poor readers and could not solve simple math problems.
The new curriculum will help learners to be:
1. Prepare with a solid foundation in literacy and numeracy.
2. Equipped with all the 21st century skills
3. Nationalism and globalization
4. Ready to succeed in life
In his discourse, Duterte cited corrections to the modern fundamental instruction educational
modules that incorporate lessening the number of aptitudes and centering more on creating
foundational abilities such as proficiency, numeracy, Math and social-emotional abilities for
understudies in grades K-3.
Also she cited expanded values training and character improvement for learners beneath the
Great Conduct and Great Conduct Act (GMRC) and Values Education Act, as well as associations
with 21st century skills.
She added that the highlights of the MATATAG Educational modules are the peace
competencies highlighting the advancement of non-violent activities, and improvement of struggle
determination abilities, building more strong schools and classrooms, fortifying comprehensive
instruction programs, supporting for teachers’ extra benefits, and giving proficient improvement
programs, among others.
“This educational modules will be fundamentally in DepEd’s MATATAG Plan disclosed in
January this year. DepEd’s track remains to be on a very basic level enlightened by the intelligence of
our trademark ‘MATATAG: Bansang makabata, batang makabansa’, meaning DepEd’s programs and
changes are intentioned custom fitted to deliver competent, job-ready, dynamic, mindful, and
energetic citizens,” Duterte said.
“MATATAG” stands for “Make the educational programs important to create job-ready,
dynamic, and mindful citizens; Take steps to quicken the conveyance of fundamental instruction
administrations and arrangement offices; Take great care of learners by advancing learner well-being,
comprehensiveness learning, and positive learning environment; and Allow back for instructors to
educate better.”
In addition, Duterte stated that the survey of the K to 12, which was begun amid the time of
previous DepEd Secretary Leonor Briones, was an “extensive and painstaking” handle that requested
the collaboration of instruction stakeholders.
“Pursuing these changes has been stamped by foreknowledge and illustrated DepEd’s crave to
alter the learning scene of the Philippines for the purpose of long-standing time of our learners,” she
said. In her introduction, Jocelyn Andaya, chief of DepEd’s Office of Educational modules
Improvement, said the assessment prepare, which endured two a long time, brought about in a 70
percent lessening within the curriculum.
Andaya said this included creating and composing organizing reports and instructing guides,
which were approved, changed and freely surveyed some time recently finalization.
“After going through the review process, we submitted the program for open review,” she
said. What I specified is something modern since usually the primary time a national program has
had to be scrutinized by the public.”
She included: “Shaping Papers accomplished a 96% open endorsement rating in a overview
of 4,843 respondents, counting understudies, instructors, public/private school proprietors,
government offices, private organizations and non-governmental organizations”.
Andaya noted that the assessment was guided by the comes about of the school’s educational
modules assessment, large-scale universal appraisals and benchmarks, and the MATATAG education
program.
The Philippines established a K-12 program under Republic Act 10533. The program aimed
to improve the basic education system in the Philippines by strengthening the curriculum and
increasing the number of years of basic education from 10 to 12 years.
Until the introduction of the K to 12 system, the Philippines was one of the few countries in
the world, along with Djibouti and Angola, that offered 10 years of basic education.
The phased implementation of grades K to 12 was introduced in the 2011-2012 academic
year and was implemented in subsequent years, but Andaya admitted that the Ministry of Education
had “problems”. .
He also pointed out that changing regional and global conditions are impacting various
sectors, including education.
Andaya said the review’s findings include overcrowded curriculum content, misguided
learning skills and an imbalance in cognitive demands.
Furthermore, the DepEd announced that the MATATAG curriculum will be implemented in
kindergarten, first grade, fourth grade, and seventh grade in the 2024-2025 school year. In the 2025-
2026 school year, 2nd, 5th, and 8th grade students will be eligible for the new curriculum, and in the
2026-2027 school year, 3rd, 6th, and 9th grade students will be eligible for the new curriculum. The 10 th
grade student will participate in his 2027-2028 school year. (PNA)
In conclusion, it was clearly stated that the new curriculum has seven important
characteristics. First, a focus on fundamental skills; second, a lighter curriculum; third, balanced
cognitive demands; and fourth, a clearer formulation of 21 st century skills. Fifthly, we are focusing on
reducing the field of learning, and sixthly, we are focusing on strengthening values education and
strengthening peace education. Finally, it is on par with international standards.
