Philippines Basic Education Essays

Philippines Basic Education Essays Philippines Basic Education Paper Philippines Basic Education Paper MODULE 2 THE PHILIPPINE BASIC EDUCATION CURRICULUM Teacher Induction Program Teacher Education Council, Department of Education Lidinila M. Luis Santos, Ed. D. Writer Minda C. Sutaria, Ed. D. Reviewer Bernadette S. Pablo, M. Ed. Editor All rights reserved. This module may not be reproduced in any form without the permission of the Teacher Education Council, Department of Education. TEACHER INDUCTION PROGRAM MODULE 2 The Philippines Basic Education Curriculum OBJECTIVES THE PHILIPPINE BASIC EDUCATION CURRICULUM Overview This module is about the Basic Education Curriculum (BEC), which sets the standards for what your students should learn in basic education which in the Philippines is from Grades I-VI and from First Year to Fourth Year high school. It spells out the knowledge, skills, habits and attitudes that your students should learn under your guidance. It is your guide in what to teach, in whatever grade/year level you are assigned. Besides learning about the curriculum, you should also be familiar with the Philippine Education For ALL (EFA) 2015 Plan. In the module, there are Self Check Questions (SCQs) and Activities to find out for yourself how well you understood what you read. However, you are not to write your answers on the module itself. Your answers are to be recorded in a notebook or journal which shall be part of your formative evaluation. TEC shall provide the postassessment booklet for summative evaluation. After studying this module you should be able to do the following: Discuss the goals and critical tasks of the EFA 2015 Plan of Action. Define what a curriculum is and its role in Philippine basic education. Explain the bases of the Philippine basic education curriculum. Discuss the forerunners of the present basic education curriculum. Explain the rationale for restructuring the basic education curriculum. Analyze the structure of the BEC. Identify samples of the different learning goals. Describe the role of the curriculum in the instructional system. Use the BEC in planning effective lessons. Assume greater responsibility for enhancing your capabilities to use the BEC as your guide to teaching and learning. i TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Objectives Preassessment i 1 4 Lesson 1 How Do You Know where You Want To Go? Know Your Curriculum The EFA 2005-2015 Plan of Action Goals of EFA EFA’s Critical Tasks What is a Curriculum? Why Do We Need a Curriculum? Why Do We Have a National Curriculum? How Do We Indigenize/Localize the Curriculum? Why Do We Have a Bilingual Policy? 6 8 13 15 16 17 18 20 Lesson 2 Why Restructure the Curriculum: A Little Bit of History 23 The National Elementary School Curriculum (NESC) The New Secondary Education Curriculum (NSEC) Evaluation of the NESC and NSEC The Rationale for the 2002 Basic Education Curriculum (BEC) 4 26 26 29 ii Lesson 3 I Know the BEC: How Do I Make It Alive? Features of the BEC The Structure of the 2002 Basic Education Curriculum The Philippine Elementary Learning Competencies (PELC) and the Philippine Secondary Learning Competencies (PSLC) 32 33 39 41 Lesson 4 Alive! But How Do I Make The Curriculum Work? The Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment Model (CIA) You and the Instructional System The R ole of Textbooks and Other Instructional Materials Your Mastery of Subject Matter 48 49 53 57 57 Answer Key to SCQ’s and Activities Bibliography Appendix 1 Sample Reading Skills Appendix 2 Sample Competencies of Elementary Mathematics: Grade I – VI Comprehension of Whole Numbers Appendix 3 Sample Competencies of Filipino in the Secondary Level 60 68 69 70 74 iii TEACHER INDUCTION PROGRAM PREASSESSMENT PREASSESSMENT Don’t be distracted by the title of this section of the module. This is a preliminary survey of what you already know about the topics covered in this module. Get a sheet of paper and write your answers to the questions. Don’t worry if you cannot answer all of them correctly but try anyway. Keep your answers and compare them with the materials you have studied after each lesson. 1. If you are going to survey the educational status of people in your town, barangay and school, which of the following groups will you find? Check as many as are applicable to your community. ________a. Young and old alike who have not attended school at all ________b. Children and youth drop-outs ________c. Adults who have not finished elementary/ secondary schooling ________d. Pupils/Students who cannot read and write in English/Filipino ________e. Pupils/Students who have limited competencies in mathematics ________f. Others: Please State 2. Would you consider these groups as educationally challenged? Why? Why not? What do you think should our educational system do for them? 3. Have you heard/read something about the Education For ALL 2015 Plan of Action? Will the plan help the disadvantaged groups? Why do you think so? What do you think will be your role in the implementation of the EFA Plan? MODULE 2: THE PHILIPPINE BASIC EDUCATION CURRICULUM 1 TEACHER INDUCTION PROGRAM PREASSESSMENT 4. When you hear the word curriculum, what comes to your mind? What do you know about the curriculum you are going to implement as a teacher? . What languages of instruction are you supposed to use in your classes? What do you know about the bilingual policy? The lingua franca program? 6. What basic education curriculum was being implemented when you were in elementary school/in high school? What subjects did you study? 7. Are you aware of tests conducted to assess the performance of students who were schooled on th e NESC NSEC? What were some of the findings? Are they good or bad? Why? 8. Have you attended orientation sessions on the Basic Education Curriculum (BEC)? What are the important features of the BEC? 9. Do you know what the Philippine Elementary Learning Competencies (PELC) and the Philippine Secondary Learning Competencies (PSLC) are? Why should you be familiar with these documents as a teacher? MODULE 2: THE PHILIPPINE BASIC EDUCATION CURRICULUM 2 TEACHER INDUCTION PROGRAM PREASSESSMENT 10. Since you are a teacher, what do you know about the relationship among curriculum, instruction and assessment? Why should you be completely knowledgeable of these three components of the instructional system? 11. When you prepare your lesson plans, how important are the following to you? . The PELC / PSLC b. The textbooks for your learning areas c. The methods, strategies, techniques and activities for instruction d. The evaluation measures you are going to use to assess student learnings 12. When you conduct your daily lessons, why are the following important? a. Congruence among your objectives, strategies and assessment b. Your knowledge of your subject matter c. Your knowledge of the needs, interests and abilities of your students Well, how many questions were you comfortable answering? As you study each lesson, compare your answers with the materials. If you answered the questions correctly, that’s very good. If not, don’t despair. That is the reason this module was prepared. Take note of the topics where you feel inadequate and study them well when you come across them in the module. MODULE 2: THE PHILIPPINE BASIC EDUCATION CURRICULUM 3 TEACHER INDUCTION PROGRAM LESSON 1: HOW DO YOU GET TO WHERE YOU WANT TO GO? KNOW YOUR CURRICULUM LESSON 1 HOW DO YOU GET TO WHERE YOU WANT TO GO? KNOW YOUR CURRICULUM INTRODUCTION Lesson I talks about the curriculum and how the curriculum can be used as your guide in going where you want to take your students as you teach. It is discussed using the Education For All (EFA) 2015 Plan of Action as your framework. OBJECTIVES After studying this lesson you should be able to: discuss the EFA 2015 Plan of Action particularly its challenges, goals and critical tasks; relate the EFA tasks to your role as implementor of the curriculum; define what a curriculum is; explain why there is a need for a national curriculum; demonstrate ways of indigenizing or localizing the curriculum; and justify the implementation of the bilingual policy in Philippine schools. MODULE 2: THE PHILIPPINE BASIC EDUCATION CURRICULUM TEACHER INDUCTION PROGRAM LESSON 1: HOW DO YOU GET TO WHERE YOU WANT TO GO? KNOW YOUR CURRICULUM READ Imagine yourself riding in an airplane or watching an airplane land. The pilot spots the landing field and looks for the runway. Upon landing, he follows the runway and guides the airplane until it comes to a stop. If you have gone to the Palarong Pambansa or watched any local athletic meet, you must have hea rd the crowd cheering the runners as they negotiated the track to reach the finish line. Sometimes the curriculum is likened to a runway or a racetrack. Just like the pilot or the runners, you need a guide when you teach. What do you think would happen if the pilot missed the runway or the runners crossed the field and did not follow the track? Yes, that would be disastrous. The curriculum is your guide so you will know where to take your students as they study with you. There are goals or milestones they need to reach and all these are spelled out in that document we call the curriculum. But before you learn about the curriculum, there is a very important document you need to be familiar with. This is the Philippine Education For All (EFA) 2015 Plan. This Plan for Action was developed by different Technical Working Groups (TWGs) of the DepEd who conducted a series of consultations with civil society, education experts, policy makers, teachers and administrators on what needs to be done to improve the quality of Philippine education. The TWGs finalized the EFA Plan of Action, which is to be implemented from the year 2005 until the year 2015. As a teacher, this Plan will serve as your framework for doing your job well as an education stakeholder. MODULE 2: THE PHILIPPINE BASIC EDUCATION CURRICULUM 5 TEACHER INDUCTION PROGRAM LESSON 1: HOW DO YOU GET TO WHERE YOU WANT TO GO? KNOW YOUR CURRICULUM The EFA 2015 Plan of Action EFA means Education For All. EFA is a UNESCO Program. Who are referred to by the catchword ALL? The 1987 Philippine Constitution affirms that education is the birthright of all Filipinos. This means that education should be available to all Filipinos whatever their age, creed, abilities, social and economic status. Educating all Filipinos is a very great challenge to our educational system. As a teacher, you are partly responsible for addressing this educational challenge. Who are these educationally challenged Filipinos? The EFA 2015 Plan of Action (DepEd, 2004) identifies the following: 1. Those who are disadvantaged because of inadequate competencies. Inadequate competencies translate into the following conditions: Those who are: not fully functionally literate in the regional language (Ex. Cebuano, Tagalog, Ilocano) Filipino or English; unable to communicate in English and therefore cannot make use of available knowledge and opportunities in English; and able to communicate in Filipino, but get limited benefits from less abundant existing knowledge and opportunities in the Filipino language, 2. Those who are disadvantaged in terms of schooling are those children and youth who: were unable to enter school. They are found in the far flung barangays where there are no schools, or in other areas where because of poverty or neglect, they don’t avail of the opportunities for schooling, 6 MODULE 2: THE PHILIPPINE BASIC EDUCATION CURRICULUM TEACHER INDUCTION PROGRAM LESSON 1: HOW DO YOU GET TO WHERE YOU WANT TO GO? KNOW YOUR CURRICULUM were unable to finish the full 10 years of basic education. In other words these are the children who drop out before they finish their elementary/ secondary schooling, and were able to finish 10 years of basic schooling, but have not attained the standard 75% mastery of basic competencies. SCQ 1. 1 1. Choose who among these children are educationally challenged. a. Pedro, Grade III, can read in Filipino but not in English b. Nancy, drop-out at Grade IV c. Jose and Greg, street children d. Jane, finished high school, lacks numeracy skills 2. Why do you say they are educationally disadvantaged? Refer to page 60 for the answers) MODULE 2: THE PHILIPPINE BASIC EDUCATION CURRICULUM 7 TEACHER INDUCTION PROGRAM LESSON 1: HOW DO YOU GET TO WHERE YOU WANT TO GO? KNOW YOUR CURRICULUM READ Goals of EFA What does the EFA Plan of Action hope to accomplish by 2015, the end of the implementation period? Let’s analyze each goal by answering the questions. You may want to do this with a partner. 1. Universal Functional Literacy The Plan envisions that all Filipinos will be functionally literate by 2015. But how can you tell that they are functionally literate? They are functionally literate according to the Plan if they possess: â€Å"A range of skills and competencies – cognitive (Intellectual) affective (emotional) and behavioral which enables individuals to live and work as human persons, develop their potential, make critical and informed decisions and function effectively in the context of their environment and that of the wider community (local, regional, national, global) in order to improve the quality of their life and that of society. † If you analyze this definition, I’m very sure; there is still a lot to be done before functional literacy for all Filipinos can be attained. Going back to those who are educationally disadvantaged, can you say they are functionally literate? You’re right. They are not. They may not be able to make critical and informed decisions. They need further help. 2. Universal coverage of quality Early Childhood Education (ECE) for all 3-5 yearold children. Most communities have Early Childhood Education Programs to provide early childhood stimulation and development for children before they enter Grade One. These programs are provided by several institutions in the community. MODULE 2: THE PHILIPPINE BASIC EDUCATION CURRICULUM TEACHER INDUCTION PROGRAM LESSON 1: HOW DO YOU GET TO WHERE YOU WANT TO GO? KNOW YOUR CURRICULUM ACTIVITY 1. 1 Please check if you have the following programs in your community. You can use this form. ECE Program Available Enrolment Not Available 1. DSWD Centers 2. NGO Centers Day Care Day Care 3. Preschools a. Private Preschool b. Public Preschool 4. Others: Please state (Refer to page 60 for comments ) 3. Universal school participation and total elimination of drop-outs and repetition from Grades I-III. Are all 6-7 year-old children in your barangay enrolled in Grade I? Are they able to continue attending classes at least until Grade III? You can help attain this goal if you: campaign and visit parents of all prospective Grade I children and convince them to enroll their children in school; make your school child-friendly so that the children do not drop out and MODULE 2: THE PHILIPPINE BASIC EDUCATION CURRICULUM 9 TEACHER INDUCTION PROGRAM LESSON 1: HOW DO YOU GET TO WHERE YOU WANT TO GO? KNOW YOUR CURRICULUM make sure that they master the foundation skills of literacy and numeracy, or they do not repeat any grade. If they repeated any grade, they wasted government funds. Also, they might not want to continue going to school anymore. 4. Universal completion of the full cycle of basic education schooling with satisfactory achievement levels by all at every grade level. In the Philippine educational system, a child has to finish six (6) years of elementary and four (4) years of secondary education to complete the full cycle of basic education. Studies show that from 1989 to 2002 only 65 out of 100 pupils who enter Grade I finish Grade Six and only 46 finish secondary education. ACTIVITY 1. 2 Your school data are stored in your Basic Education Information System (BEIS). Get your school data and compare them with the National Data provided herein. Performance Indicators National Data School Data Year ____ School Year 2005-2006 Elementary Secondary Elementary Secondary 1. Participation Rate 2. Drop- out Rate ta Repetition Rate 3. 4. Completion Rate 5. Achievement Rate (Mean Percentage Score) a. English b. Science c. Math 84. 41 10. 57 2. 69 56. 76 58. 20 15. 81 3. 14 59. 77 59. 15 54. 12 59. 10 51. 35 39. 49 46. 80 Ask your Principal or BEIS Coordinator to explain to you what the data mean. Is your school performance higher or below the national performance? See page 60 for comments) MODULE 2: THE PHILIPPINE BASIC EDUCATION CURRICULUM 10 TEACHER INDUCTION PROGRAM LESSON 1: HOW DO YOU GET TO WHERE YOU WANT TO GO? KNOW YOUR CURRICULUM 5. Expand the coverage of the Basic Literacy Program for the 16 year old andabove and the Alternative Learning System (ALS) Accreditation and Equivalency Program for the 16 year–old and above who have less than 10 y ears of basic education. Does your school have an Alternative Learning System Program (formerly Non-Formal Education Program)? Find out what the program is doing for the out-of-school youths and adults in your community. Do they avail of the programs? Why or why not? You may want to discuss this with the ALS coordinator of your school or district. 6. Commitment of all Philippine communities to the attainment of basic education competencies for all– Education for All by ALL. The ALL here again refers to the Filipino children in need of education. It also refers to ALL the stakeholders, most especially you. Did you learn much about your school while working on the activities and answering the questions? The answers you gathered will give you a good picture of the state of education in your school. The six (6) goals of EFA can be your guideposts until 2015 while you are with the Philippine educational system. MODULE 2: THE PHILIPPINE BASIC EDUCATION CURRICULUM 11 TEACHER INDUCTION PROGRAM LESSON 1: HOW DO YOU GET TO WHERE YOU WANT TO GO? KNOW YOUR CURRICULUM ACTIVITY 1. 3 Based on your understanding of the EFA goals and the activities you have done, assess the status of your school based on accomplishments towards reaching the goals. Put a star (*) after the goals where you perceive your school is doing well, a question mark (? ) if you are not sure, and an (x) if you feel there is more to be done. EFA Goal 1. Universal Functional Literacy 2. Universal Coverage of ECE 3. Universal Participation and Elimination of Drop- outs 4. Universal Completion of Basic Education 5. Expansion of Basic Literacy 6. Commitment to the Attainment of Basic Competencies __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ Status of Accomplishments __________________________ __________________________ Discuss your assessment with your principal and find out how you can contribute to the attainment of the goals. List a few things you can do especially for number 3 and number 6 goals. Goal No. 3 Goal No. 6 1. 2. 3. 1. 2. 3. (See page 61 for comments) MODULE 2: THE PHILIPPINE BASIC EDUCATION CURRICULUM 12 TEACHER INDUCTION PROGRAM LESSON 1: HOW DO YOU GET TO WHERE YOU WANT TO GO? KNOW YOUR CURRICULUM READ EFA’s Critical Tasks Based on the goals of EFA, what are the critical tasks of the different education stakeholders? When we say stakeholders, we mean all those involved in the education of the child. They all have significant roles. As a teacher, since you are at the forefront of these critical tasks, your role is doubly important. The more important tasks for which your personal and professional commitment as a teacher is greatly needed are the following: (DepEd 2004, Philippine Education For All (2015 Plan of Action). 1. Make every school continuously perform better. Let us say there are 10 teachers in your school. If all of you teach very well and make sure your students learn, then you can say you have done your best to make your school better. If there are 10 schools in your town that are doing the same, can you say that you are helping make your town perform well? Multiply the efforts of ll the schools in the country; can you imagine how your little effort in your school can go a long way? 2. Expand ECE coverage to yield more EFA benefits. If you have children of your own, you can start giving them the benefit of early childhood care and development. Talk to them. Tell them stories. Take them for a walk in your barangay. Answer all their questions. Enroll them in ECE Programs. Encourage other parents to d o the same. These activities will keep them stimulated mentally. If you teach Grades I-III, be sure that the pupils’ gains in ECE will not be lost. Continue to stimulate them mentally, socially and emotionally. If you have done this, you can be sure you have built a strong educational foundation for your students. MODULE 2: THE PHILIPPINE BASIC EDUCATION CURRICULUM 13 TEACHER INDUCTION PROGRAM LESSON 1: HOW DO YOU GET TO WHERE YOU WANT TO GO? KNOW YOUR CURRICULUM 3. Transform existing non-formal and informal learning options into a truly viable alternative learning system yielding more EFA benefits. As a teacher, you may be asked to handle non–formal education classes. The ALS has a Basic Literacy Program which teaches illiterates basic reading, writing, and numeracy skills. There is also an Accreditation and Equivalency Program (A and E), which addresses the learning needs of school drop-outs who have not completed 10 years of basic education. 4. Get all teachers to continuously perform better. Whether you are a beginning teacher or an experienced one, you cannot stop growing. You have to continue to upgrade and improve your teaching skills. Read widely. Attend seminars. Observe effective teachers. Ask questions. 5. Adopt a 12-year cycle for formal basic education. This means adding two (2) more years to basic education. This is a matter to be decided by our legislators, our education authorities, and the parents. But since you also have a stake in education, your stand on the matter must be heard. Study the benefits of a longer basic education cycle and help convince parents to support a shift to it. The DepEd started to introduce an additional year with the optional High School Bridge Program. You learned about this Program in Module 1. Will you be happy if most of the elementary graduates of your school will be asked to attend the Bridge Program? What does it say about the quality of the graduates of your school? 6. Accelerate curriculum development. You are not expected to develop a new curriculum. What is expected of you is to know the curriculum by heart so that you will know what you are expected to teach in the different learning areas in the grade/year level you are handling. At the same time, try to conduct some studies on the curriculum so you will know whether the learnings are relevant to the needs and conditions of your pupils. If they are not, then try to make some modifications to make the curriculum more relevant. As you go through Module 2, you will know more about the Basic Education Curriculum (BEC) of 2002, which you are expected to implement. MODULE 2: THE PHILIPPINE BASIC EDUCATION CURRICULUM 14 TEACHER INDUCTION PROGRAM LESSON 1: HOW DO YOU GET TO WHERE YOU WANT TO GO? KNOW YOUR CURRICULUM ACTIVITY 1. 4 You have studied six (6) critical tasks of EFA. They are now also your tasks. Select the three (3) most important tasks to which you can contribute most. Write what you think can be your best contribution. Complete this form Critical Task My Contributions (Refer to page 61 for comments) READ What is a Curriculum? Unlike the runway or the racetrack that I mentioned earlier, the curriculum is not paved with concrete or asphalt. It is the totality of all the experiences that the students will undergo while they are in school. Others say it is made up of the subject matter taught by the teacher and learned by the students as they go through the educational process still, others see the curriculum as made up of objectives (cognitive, affective, and psychomotor) or competencies that should be developed MODULE 2: THE PHILIPPINE BASIC EDUCATION CURRICULUM 15 TEACHER INDUCTION PROGRAM LESSON 1: HOW DO YOU GET TO WHERE YOU WANT TO GO? KNOW YOUR CURRICULUM among the students under the guidance of the teacher (Saylor, Alexander Lewis, 1981 pp. 4-7). A curriculum can be all of theseexperiences, subject matter, objectives and competencies. (Saylor, et al 1981 p. 7) defined the curriculum as the â€Å"different planned opportunities for learning† afforded the students as they go through schooling. This is a more encompassing definition of what curriculum is. It means that the curriculum includes subject matter, objectives, and the experiences of the learner. Why Do We Need a Curriculum? Let’s play a little game of looking back to your first few days or weeks when you were first appointed to teach. Although you have a Bachelors Degree in Education, did you feel a little lost as to what you were going to teach your grade school pupils, say in mathematics, or your high school students, in English? You cannot just look at the ceiling and decide that you are going to teach your Grade One children addition or your first year students letter writing. Yes, you may ask your students about their previous lessons, but where do you go from there? Obviously, you need a written guide that will tell you what you are expected to teach. This guide is your curriculum plan. This is now the BEC. There are certain elements that you have to look for when you examine the curriculum. You need to know the scope of the work or the lessons for a particular grade or year level and for a particular learning area. The scope tells you the coverage of the lessons. You also need to know the sequence of the lessons. What comes first, what comes next and so on. The sequence tells you when to teach a particular competency or content. The sequence of the lessons also provides for the continuity link from one grade level to another. For example, if the curriculum plan for Mathematics Grade I covers addition of two digit numbers with a sum of 99, then the Grade II curriculum will start from there. The competencies also increase in difficulty. In other words, if everything in the curriculum plan has been learned in the previous grade, the teacher of the next grade will know where to start. If not, then you have to begin where the children are. MODULE 2: THE PHILIPPINE BASIC EDUCATION CURRICULUM 16 TEACHER INDUCTION PROGRAM LESSON 1: HOW DO YOU GET TO WHERE YOU WANT TO GO? KNOW YOUR CURRICULUM ACTIVITY 1. 5 Examine your PSLC for Science, for first year high school. 1. 2. What does it cover? Are the lessons/ topics properly sequenced so there is continuity? re the Note: If you teach other subjects and grade/year level, do this activity with the subject of your choice. (See page 61 for comments) READ Why Do We Have a National Curriculum? In the Philippines, we have a national curriculum implemented nationwide in all public elementary and secondary schools. It is called the Basic Education Curriculum (BEC). The private schools have the option to enrich or modify the BEC as circumstances in their schools dictate. Why is it important that our country follow a national curriculum? Some of our students are very mobile. Sometimes in the course of the school year, they change residence and transfer to another school. Let us say two of your students transferred to two different schools in the middle of the school year. Will they have problems following the lessons in their new schools? How does having a national curriculum help the transferred pupils and their new teacher? Furthermore, the DepEd uses the national curriculum as the standard for assessing your performance and the performance of your pupils. There must be only one standard for all. MODULE 2: THE PHILIPPINE BASIC EDUCATION CURRICULUM 17 TEACHER INDUCTION PROGRAM LESSON 1: HOW DO YOU GET TO WHERE YOU WANT TO GO? KNOW YOUR CURRICULUM If different curricula are followed, different standards will be set. Students in a particular grade/year level will not be developing the same competencies. Since tests are based on the standards, valid or reliable results can be generated which will apply to all the samples. If the education authorities will use the results of the tests to improve the curriculum or to design seminars and workshops for teachers, their data may not be reliable. SCQ 1. 2 You ivision also know that the DepEd administers national tests, the regional offices, their own regional tests and your own divisions, the division test. The same tests are administered to all sampled pupils. 1. Why is it possible to give the same national tests all over the country to our Grade VI and Fourth Year students? 2. Does your Division also administer division tests? What do test developers use as basis for developing test items to be included in the tests? 3. What does your school do with the results of the tests? (Refer to page 61-62 for the answers) READ How Do We Indigenize/Localize the Curriculum? Children differ in many ways in their cultural backgrounds, in their home languages, in their needs and interests. They have different ways of life too. And surely they differ in mental abilities. But it is not saying that a certain group has a MODULE 2: THE PHILIPPINE BASIC EDUCATION CURRICULUM 18 TEACHER INDUCTION PROGRAM LESSON 1: HOW DO YOU GET TO WHERE YOU WANT TO GO? KNOW YOUR CURRICULUM monopoly of the good traits. The differences among children have to be addressed through the curriculum. They are part of the EFA challenge. How can a national curriculum cater to learner differences? The answer is indigenization or localization of the curriculum. Indigenization can be done by: organizing the subject fields to make them relevant to the pupils’ culture; adopting content and learning modes, including indigenous learning systems from the community; and inviting the natives/local people (the learner, parents, laymen, local specialist and local leaders) to participate in designing and implementing the curriculum. Localization involves â€Å"adaptation of the curriculum content to the community where changes in a given curriculum are based on its peculiarities† (Abuso, et al 2002 p. 44). The study done by Abuso, et al for the Third Elementary Education Project (TEEP) mentioned the different practices of teachers to indigenize and localize the curriculum to make it more relevant and suitable to the demands of the different groups of students in our country. You may try some of them in your own classrooms. Surely you can think of other ways to respond to the needs and circumstances of your own students. Some examples of initiatives in indigenizing/ localizing the curriculum follow (Abuso, et al 2002 p. 54): Citing examples from the local culture related to the topic Using indigenous knowledgelocal songs, stories, poem, etc. Using indigenous aids such as artifacts Incorporating community resources in teachingvisit to scenic spots, inviting local people as resource persons, etc. Putting up learning resource centers (LRCs) where local artifacts are displayed MODULE 2: THE PHILIPPINE BASIC EDUCATION CURRICULUM 19 TEACHER INDUCTION PROGRAM LESSON 1: HOW DO YOU GET TO WHERE YOU WANT TO GO? KNOW YOUR CURRICULUM Discussing local problems and issues Preserving local songs, dances and games through co-curricular activities Using the local language in teaching Participating in local celebrations SCQ 1. 3 How have you indigenized / localized your lessons in: A. Sibika at Kultura or Araling Panlipunan? 1. 2 3. B. Science or Mathematics? 1. 2. 3. C. Other learning area/s you are teaching? 1. 2. 3. (See answers on page 62) READ Why Do We Have a Bilingual Policy? The 1987 Philippine Constitution mandates that Filipino shall be the national language and English shall continue to be used as another medium of communication and instruction. (Art XIV. Sec. 67) Since there are other regional languages, the Constitution also provides that the vernacular can be used as an MODULE 2: THE PHILIPPINE BASIC EDUCATION CURRICULUM 20 TEACHER INDUCTION PROGRAM LESSON 1: HOW DO YOU GET TO WHERE YOU WANT TO GO? KNOW YOUR CURRICULUM auxiliary medium of instruction in the lower grades until such time that the students become familiar with English and Filipino. Following this Constitutional mandate, the Bilingual Education Policy (BEP) of 1974 was re-confirmed by DECS in 1987. The Bilingual Policy states that certain subjects must be taught in Filipino and certain subjects in English. So, if you teach in the elementary grades, what subjects will you teach in Filipino and what subjects will you teach in English? Yes, you teach Filipino as a language and also teach Makabayan in Filipino. You will teach English as a language and teach science and health and mathematics in English. If you teach in the secondary level, you also teach Filipino and English as languages and use English as the medium of instruction for Mathematics, Science, Technology and Livelihood Education, Music, Arts and P. E and Health and CAT. Filipino is used as the medium of instruction for Edukasyon sa Pagpapahalaga and Araling Panlipunan. The use of the lingua franca or the regional languages for Grade I has been recommended by the Presidential Commission for Educational Reform (PCER), but there is no clear mandate yet at present. However, during the time of Sec. Andrew Gonzales, DECS experimented with the use of Tagalog, Cebuano, and Ilocano in ten schools from Grades I III and the studies yielded favorable results. SCQ 1. 4 Are you in favor of the bilingual policy? Why or Why not? Write a paragraph of about 100 words defining your position on the matter. (See page 62 for the answers) MODULE 2: THE PHILIPPINE BASIC EDUCATION CURRICULUM 21 TEACHER INDUCTION PROGRAM LESSON 1: HOW DO YOU GET TO WHERE YOU WANT TO GO? KNOW YOUR CURRICULUM POINTS TO REMEMBER After studying Lesson 1 of Module 2, did you realize the following? The Philippine Education for All 2015 Plan of Action is a document you must study and understand if you are to be a responsible teacher. It identifies the challenges, goals, and critical tasks every education stakeholder must know by heart and be prepared to follow . The curriculum is a plan that helps the teachers provide different learning opportunities for their students. It is the totality of all the learner’s experiences. It may be organized along subject matter lines, or according to competencies. The BEC may be used as a guide for choosing both subject matter and competencies for specific groups. You need the curriculum as your guide to teaching. As you prepare your lesson plans, you refer to the scope and sequence of the curriculum so that you will know what to teach and when to teach a particular lesson in a particular grade level. The country implements a national curriculum known as the BEC. While all teachers follow the national curriculum, as an individual teacher, you are given leeway to adjust the curriculum to the actual circumstances and needs of your pupils. You are not required to follow it en toto. You can make the curriculum relevant to your children’s peculiar needs. You can indigenize and/or localize the curriculum to make it more relevant and meaningful to their lives. The curriculum is not a product merely of the imagination or of the desire of our national educational officials and curriculum developers. Its goals and objectives are based on legal documents, relevant studies/researches and actual learning needs of learner. These documents help spell out the structure and content of the curriculum. Even the language policy is enshrined in the laws of the land. MODULE 2: THE PHILIPPINE BASIC EDUCATION CURRICULUM 22 TEACHER INDUCTION PROGRAM LESSON 2: WHY RESTRUCTURE THE CURRICULUM: A LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY LESSON 2 WHY RESTRUCTURE THE CURRICULUM: A LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY INTRODUCTION This lesson summarizes the findings and recommendations of some researches and studies on the performance of our learners that led to the restructuring of the basic education curriculum. OBJECTIVES After studying this lesson, you should be able to do the following: Describe the New Elementary School Curriculum (NESC) and the New Secondary Education Curriculum (NSEC). Explain the important features of these curricula. Explain why reforms in the curriculum were undertaken. Infer from the results of the evaluation of the NESC and the NSEC why the curriculum has to be restructured. Discuss the rationale for restructuring the basic education curriculum MODULE 2: THE PHILIPPINE BASIC EDUCATION CURRICULUM 23 TEACHER INDUCTION PROGRAM LESSON 2: WHY RESTRUCTURE THE CURRICULUM: A LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY READ It is not the intention of this lesson to go back before the 1980’s in discussing the basic education curriculum. But you must know that there were other education acts before the 1980’s that influenced earlier national curricula. The National Elementary School Curriculum (NESC) implemented from 1984 to 2002 and the New Secondary Education Curriculum (NSEC) implemented from 1991 to 2002 should serve as background information for you to understand the present BEC. Before the NESC and NSEC were developed, the Department of Education, Culture and Sports (DECS), reviewed the results of several researches, surveys and experimental programs conducted in the country to find out what ailed the educational system. The surveys and researches revealed the deficiencies of previous curricula implemented by the Department. The Presidential Commission to Study Philippine Education 1970 (PCSPE), the Survey of the Outcomes of Elementary Education 1975 (SOUTELE) and the Experimental Elementary Education Program 1978 (EEEP) revealed that our elementary students performed poorly especially in the 3R’s. The studies went deeper and revealed the deficiencies in the curricula themselves. One of the findings revealed that the elementary school curriculum was overloaded starting from Grade One. The National Elementary School Curriculum (NESC) The 1983 National Elementary School Curriculum was deemed the answer to the problems revealed by the previously mentioned surveys. First, a comprehensive plan known as the Program for Comprehensive Elementary Education (PROCEED) was prepared. From this big program was derived the sector program known as the Program for Decentralized Educational Development (PRODED). With assistance from the World Bank, PRODED encompassed several reform measures to improve elementary education. Foremost among them was the revision of the elementary school curriculum. Thus, the NESC was developed. The NESC was considered the first researchMODULE 2: THE PHILIPPINE BASIC EDUCATION CURRICULUM 24 TEACHER INDUCTION PROGRAM LESSON 2: WHY RESTRUCTURE THE CURRICULUM: A LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY based curriculum in the country. It had fewer learning areas in the first three grades Filipino, English, Mathematics and Civics and Culture. Science and Health was added starting Grade III. Music, Arts and Physical Education were integrated in Grades I and II and became a separate subject starting from Grade III. At the same time, the contact time for each subject was increased, thus giving both the teachers and students more time to develop the basic skills of literacy, numeracy and also values. Other subjects were gradually added beginning Grade IV, like Home Economics and Livelihood Education, a common subject for boys and girls, and Geography, History, Civics for Grade IV–VI, which was the continuation of Civics and Culture. In a series of consultations, seminars and workshops, the curriculum experts identified the different contents, skills and values that needed to be learned by our elementary students. They called these competencies. The listing of competencies came to be known as the Minimum Learning Competencies (MLC). The NESC was tried out gradually in 13 pilot schools in the country. From the results of the try-outs, the MLC’s were finalized and the NESC was fully implemented. In the implementation of the NESC, mastery learning was emphasized. The students were expected to acquire the required competencies with at least 75% mastery. In other words, a child must be able to answer at least seven (7) out of ten questions in a formative test. SCQ 2. 1 What were the reforms introduced in the NESC? 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. (See answers on page 63) MODULE 2: THE PHILIPPINE BASIC EDUCATION CURRICULUM 25 TEACHER INDUCTION PROGRAM LESSON 2: WHY RESTRUCTURE THE CURRICULUM: A LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY The New Secondary Education Curriculum (NSEC) When the first batch of students who went through the NESC graduated, the Bureau of Secondary Education (BSE) implemented the NSEC in the schools. Of course, like the NESC, it had to undergo field try-outs and on the basis of the results, was revised and finalized. The NSEC included the following learning areas to be taught for 400 minutes daily from First Year to Fourth Year: Values Education Filipino English Mathematics Araling Panlipunan Science and Technology Physical Education, Health and Music Technology and Home Economics Evaluation of the NESC and NSEC A curriculum is never a permanent document. It continually undergoes evaluation which becomes one of the bases for revising or restructuring it. So while the NESC and the NSEC were still being implemented, they were simultaneously undergoing some minor revisions or changes. Indeed, curriculum development is a never-ending process. Some of the studies and researches that were conducted to evaluate the performance of students using the NESC and the NSEC revealed some of the shortcomings of these curricula. These are all cited in the document. The 2002 Basic Education Curriculum–Bawat Graduate Bayani at Marangal (DepED, April 5, 2002). MODULE 2: THE PHILIPPINE BASIC EDUCATION CURRICULUM 26 TEACHER INDUCTION PROGRAM LESSON 2: WHY RESTRUCTURE THE CURRICULUM: A LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY The studies and the findings follow: Studies/Researches Findings/Recommendation 1. National Elementary Achievement Grade VI students were able to answer Test (NEAT) correctly less than 50% of questions asked in science, mathematics and English. 2. National and Secondary Assessment A mean percentage score of only 50% Test (NSAT) was achieved. 3. Committee on Information An’’ overcrowded curriculum† especially Grade I-III resulted in poor Technology, Science, Mathematics, in Education other Technology. performance of pupils in the elementary grades. Students needed longer time in science and mathematics 4. Aurora Roldan, â€Å" Present Realities in Reading Education† Our students are deficient in reading ability. They have not developed the higher order thinking skills even at Grade V. There is the danger of reverting to illiteracy if the students dropped out before completing Grade VI. MODULE 2: THE PHILIPPINE BASIC EDUCATION CURRICULUM 27 TEACHER INDUCTION PROGRAM LESSON 2: WHY RESTRUCTURE THE CURRICULUM: A LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY 5. Third International Science Mathematics The Philippines ranked 39th out of 42 countries which participated in the study, Study (TIMMS) 6. Allan B. I. Bernardo, â€Å"The Learning Process: Phenomenon The in Neglected In comparison with other countries, the Science and Philippine â€Å"science syllabus contained topics† suggesting that the curriculum is still congested. Reform in more Mathematics Education the Philippines† SCQ 2. 2 What do the findings of the studies/researches mentioned suggest to you? Cite at least two (2) or three (3) studies and their findings. 1. 2. 3. (Refer to page 63 for answers) MODULE 2: THE PHILIPPINE BASIC EDUCATION CURRICULUM 8 TEACHER INDUCTION PROGRAM LESSON 2: WHY RESTRUCTURE THE CURRICULUM: A LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY The formal review of the NESC and NSEC was started during the incumbency of Secretary Andrew Gonzales (1998-2001) and continued during the incumbency of Secretary Raul S. Roco (2001–2003). A Committee on Curriculum Reform was formed with the partic ipation of officials from the academe, the private sector and civil society. Teachers, parents and students were likewise consulted and their inputs considered. While this was done on a limited basis, inputs from previous consultations were considered. The Committee on Curricular Reform came out with the 2002 Basic Education Curriculum (BEC), which had to undergo a national pilot test in SY 2002. READ The Rationale for the 2002 Basic Education Curriculum (BEC) The 2002 Basic Education Curriculum (DepEd, Apr. 5, 2002), cited several reasons why the basic education curriculum should be restructured. Restructuring does not mean complete revision or change of the curriculum. It only means refining and giving more emphasis to some aspects that are deemed more responsive to the present realities. The Four Pillars of Education in Jacques Delors’ Report to UNESCO (1996,pp. 2-24) was one of the documents that influenced the restructuring of the curriculum. The third and fourth pillars, Learning to Live Together and Learning to Be, which emphasize using the knowledge gained to improve oneself and one’s relationship with fellow human beings, are especially relevant. The emphasis on learning-to-learn skills has long been a featur e of the curriculum. But it seems that it got lost in implementation. Thus, the new BEC gives it greater impetus, along with the development of functional literacy which involves the development of the essential skills such as â€Å"linguistic fluency and scientific – numerical competence. Lifelong learning is possible only when our people become functionally literate,† (David Kemp as mentioned in the 2002 Basic Ed. Curriculum). MODULE 2: THE PHILIPPINE BASIC EDUCATION CURRICULUM 29 TEACHER INDUCTION PROGRAM LESSON 2: WHY RESTRUCTURE THE CURRICULUM: A LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY To further decongest the curriculum and to provide more contact time for the tool subjects, the restructured curriculum emphasizes the enhanced teaching of the four (4) core subjects Filipino, English, Mathematics and Science. A fifth subject called Makabayan, which is envisioned to be a â€Å"laboratory of life† or practice environment, integrated the other non-tool subjects. ACTIVITY 2. 1 Discuss the findings of the studies with a partner. Are there really reasons for the education sector to be alarmed about the state of Philippine education? Why do you say so? Study the results of the recent tests given in your school (national, regional, division, and district). What do the results show? Based on the results, do you agree that the curriculum must be restructured? Why or why not? (Refer to page 63 for comments) MODULE 2: THE PHILIPPINE BASIC EDUCATION CURRICULUM 0 TEACHER INDUCTION PROGRAM LESSON 2: WHY RESTRUCTURE THE CURRICULUM: A LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY POINTS TO REMEMBER From this lesson, remember the following: Prior to BEC, the DECS then implemented research and reformed-based curricula known as the NESC and the NSEC. Both curricula were in response to the needs of those times and emphasized features that were designed to respond to the adverse findings of researches and surveys on the performance of our students using the previous curricula. No curriculum is permanent. It undergoes revision and restructuring in response to changes in people and society. Any curriculum should undergo try-out or pilot testing before it should be implemented. The evaluation of the NESC and the NSEC still found the curriculum wanting. Test results showed that students performed on the average only at the 50% level. Before the formal review was done in the 1990’s when a Curriculum Reform Committee was formed, the curriculum revision process was going on. Small but crucial changes were being effected during implementation as part of the formative evaluation process. Aside from results of the evaluation of the NESC and NSEC, other developments nationally and worldwide were considered in developing the BEC. Foremost was the UNESCO Report on the Four Pillars of Education. It gave new impetus to the development of functional literacy and lifelong learning, and the decongestion the curriculum. Emphasis was given to interactive and integrative learning. MODULE 2: THE PHILIPPINE BASIC EDUCATION CURRICULUM 31 TEACHER INDUCTION PROGRAM LESSON 3: I KNOW THE BEC: HOW DO I MAKE IT ALIVE? LESSON 3 I KNOW THE BEC: HOW DO I MAKE IT ALIVE? This lesson is the soul of the Basic Education Curriculum. It focuses on the different features of the BEC and how you can operationalize the same in your own classrooms as you implement and make the curriculum alive. OBJECTIVES After finishing this lesson, you should to be able to; describe the structure of the BEC in terms of the different learning areas in the elementary and secondary levels; identify the general and intermediate goals of particular learning areas; examine the Philippine Elementary Learning Competencies (PELC) or the Philippine Secondary Learning Competencies (PSLC) according to your level of assignment; explain the relationships between the learning goalsgeneral, intermediate and specificas outlined in the different BEC documents; and operationalize the features of the BEC in your own classroom. MODULE 2: THE PHILIPPINE BASIC EDUCATION CURRICULUM 32 TEACHER INDUCTION PROGRAM LESSON 3: I KNOW THE BEC: HOW DO I MAKE IT ALIVE? The first two lessons aimed to familiarize you with the EFA Plan of Action and the more general ideas about the curriculum. This lesson will explain in greater detail the features of the BEC. Once you have internalized these ideas, you can be more proactive in your daily interactions with your students and give more life to your teaching. You can then become a more effective teacher. READ The Features of the BEC 1. Greater emphasis on helping every learner become a successful reader. Several studies mentioned earlier (PCSPE, SOUTELE) showed that our students are weak in the 3R’s. If our students do not know how to read, it will be very difficult for them to learn the other subjects. Let us take for example the learning of mathematics. It has been shown that most children can do the computational skills, but when the equations are put into word problems, they cannot solve the problems correctly. The culprit is their lack of ability to comprehend what they read. Thus, under the BEC, the emphasis is for every child to become a successful reader by Grade III. You must have heard of the program Every Child a Reader Program or E-CARP. This program of the Bureau of Elementary Education (BEE) provides materials and training for teachers to become effective reading teachers. If you are teaching Grades I-III, it is your main responsibility to see to it that your students learn how to read. Modules 6. 1 and 6. 2 on the Teaching of Communication Arts – English and Filipino will show you how. If you are to teach in the higher grades/years, it does not mean that you will no longer be a reading teacher. You must continuously help your students to develop their reading ability further. In all subjects, children read in order to learn; thus, all teachers must be reading teachers. The BEC includes the reading competencies/skills that your students should master. Your job is to develop those competencies. MODULE 2: THE PHILIPPINE BASIC EDUCATION CURRICULUM 33 TEACHER INDUCTION PROGRAM LESSON 3: I KNOW THE BEC: HOW DO I MAKE IT ALIVE? ACTIVITY 3. 1 Study the sample page of the PELC in Appendix 1. It shows you samples of the reading skills that Grades I- III children should master. Give some of the reading skills that should be developed from Grades I–III. 1. Why is it important that these reading skills be mastered? 2. What do you think will be the problems in the later grades if these skills are not developed in the early grades? (See page 64 for comments) 2. Emphasis on interactive/collaborative learning approaches. Teachers have a tendency to lecture. They seem to feel that they have all the questions and all the answers. Try to tape one of your lessons and compare the length of time you talk and the amount of time pupils/students do the talking. And if they do talk, what do they say? Do they simply say â€Å"Yes, Ma’am or ‘No, Ma’am? If this is the case, your class is very much teacher–dominated or teacher-directed. Nothing much happens in your classroom except for your children to affirm what you are saying. Do you think they are becoming robots in the process? Interactive learning is like playing basketball. The teacher interacts with the pupils and the pupils interact among themselves. They work togethe r to achieve the lesson objectives for the day. They can work together as a whole class or work in small groups. The teacher does not direct but merely facilitates the learning process. MODULE 2: THE PHILIPPINE BASIC EDUCATION CURRICULUM 4 TEACHER INDUCTION PROGRAM LESSON 3: I KNOW THE BEC: HOW DO I MAKE IT ALIVE? SCQ 3. 1 How can you make your lesson more learner–centered instead of teacherdominated? What interactive activities have you tried out with your students? Were you satisfied with the results? Why? List at least five and comment on the outcome. (See pages 64 for answers) 3. Emphasis on the use of integrative learning approaches. The child learns as a whole individual. While for convenience in scheduling, class time is blocked into periods for the different subject areas, the integration of learning takes place within the individual. This is called covert integration. It is not done deliberately but it happens in the life of the individual learner. On the other hand, you as the teacher can employ strategies that will show students how to relate learnings in one subject to learnings in other subjects or how to integrate elements within a learning area. This is overt integration. If you are the English or Filipino teacher, you can use science topics or Araling Panlipunan topics, respectively, as vehicles for teaching the skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing. Thus you are integrating within and across learning areas. You will find many good examples of integrative lessons in Module No. 6. 4. Teaching of values in all learning areas. In the implementation of the BEC, every teacher is considered a values education teacher. You cannot separate values from what you do. Values are those that you consider of most worth. Values permeate everything that you do. Whatever lesson you teach, be very conscious of the values that can be infused or integrated in the lesson. MODULE 2: THE PHILIPPINE BASIC EDUCATION CURRICULUM 35 TEACHER INDUCTION PROGRAM LESSON 3: I KNOW THE BEC: HOW DO I MAKE IT ALIVE? Let’s listen to these children talking about one of their teachers. First Child: There is Miss Reyes, my favorite Grade I teacher. She was the one who first taught me the value of being honest. She helped me tell my mother the truth about how I lost my book. Second Child: She was my favorite Grade I teacher, too. Remember the stories she told us about little heroes and the good things they did to help others? First Child: Oh, yes. And I remember also how well she treated us even when we were a little bit naughty or noisy. If ever I become a teacher, I’ll be like her. Second Child: I bet she is a good mother, too. As a teacher, you not only teach values but also exemplify values in your person. Some say that values are caught rather than taught. This means that you are the model for the values you want your children to learn and live by. You cannot say one thing and do another thing. 5. Development of self-reliant and patriotic citizens. Recall the legal bases of the Philippine BEC. When parents were asked during the time of PRODED what values they would like emphasized in schools, many mentioned patriotism. They said that many values can be learned at home and can be taught in the church, but it is only the schools that can do a good job of teaching the value of patriotism. You may not fully agree with them, but our schools are mandated to teach the values of love of country, patriotism, and nationalism. In what learning areas can you exemplify the value of patriotism? The very name itself of the learning area MAKABAYAN is a give -away. We would like to erase the culture of mendicancy from our people. Let us teach our students how to stand on their own two feet. While the government is there to help, they should not always rely on the government to do things for them. You can start them early on the trait of self-reliance. You can always look for activities MODULE 2: THE PHILIPPINE BASIC EDUCATION CURRICULUM 36 TEACHER INDUCTION PROGRAM LESSON 3: I KNOW THE BEC: HOW DO I MAKE IT ALIVE? and experiences in the curriculum that will enhance your students’ resourcefulness and ingenuity, from our common historical heritage or from the arts and sciences which highlight the Filipino traditions and way of life. There will be plenty of these experiences that can be provided when you implement the curriculum, so you can produce self-reliant students and, consequently, self-reliant citizens. SCQ 3. 2 A. Put a check on the activities that will help develop patriotism and self reliance. ________1. Discussing the meaning of the lyrics of the National Anthem. ________2. Visiting historical places ________3. Listening to the teacher lecture on heroism. ________4. Waiting to be told what to do. ________5. Preparing a skit or short drama on the rich culture of the early Filipinos. B. Can you add some more activities to help develop patriotism and selfreliance from your own experiences? 6. Development of creative and critical thinking skills. Earlier, you learned that the BEC is an interactive curriculum. Children learn not only from you or from the books that the DepEd provides, or from experiences in the classroom. They bring with them the stock knowledge they gain from life outside the school. The formal knowledge from the school and their own personal experiences are ingredients for further learning in the restructured BEC. As the teacher, you will be greatly responsible for developing creativity and critical thinking among your students. Refrain from dominating the classroom interaction. Guide the students to create and construct their own knowledge. Do not be satisfied with just the correct answer, but probe the thinking processes that MODULE 2: THE PHILIPPINE BASIC EDUCATION CURRICULUM 37 TEACHER INDUCTION PROGRAM LESSON 3: I KNOW THE BEC: HOW DO I MAKE IT ALIVE? helped them arrive at the correct answers. The curriculum has provided you a wealth of opportunities to engage students in reflecting on their own learnings, to find new answers to old questions and to work out problems cooperatively among themselves with you as the facilitator. Never dictate to your students how they should organize their own learnings. Be dutifully alert to opportunities that will help them synthesize their own learnings and apply them to real life situations. Provide the challenge to make them think critically. ACTIVITY 3. 2 The features of the BEC that were described above reflect the intention of the curriculum developers to attune the BEC to the times. But they will remain just that–intentions, if you cannot make them alive in the classrooms. As you study the BEC and as you implement it, always be alert to create opportunities that will operationalize these features. You may start this activity in your notebook. Features of the BEC Lesson Activities Provided 1. List the features of the BEC in the first column. 2. Put the particular lesson in the second column. 3. List the specific activities that you can provide to operationalize the feature. READ (See page 65 for comments) MODULE 2: THE PHILIPPINE BASIC EDUCATION CURRICULUM 38 TEACHER INDUCTION PROGRAM LESSON 3: I KNOW THE BEC: HOW DO I MAKE IT ALIVE? The Structure of the 2002 Basic Education Curriculum The objectives of elementary and secondary education serve as the â€Å"official learning goals† of basic education as stated for a particular population of learners; that is, the elementary and secondary education learners. The Bureau of Alternative Learning System (formerly Non-formal Education) likewise has a set of official learning goals for its particular set of target learners – the out-of-school youth and adults. The Education Act of 1982 or Batas Pambansa Blg. 232 provides the general objectives of elementary, secondary, and non-formal education. The objectives of elementary education are as follows: 1. Provide the knowledge and develop the skills, attitudes, and values essential for personal development, a productive life, and constructive engagement with a changing social milieu; 2. Provide learning experiences that increase the child’s awareness of and responsiveness to the just demands of society; 3. Promote and intensify awareness of, identification with, and love for our nation and the community to which the learner belongs; 4. Promote experiences that develop the learner’s orientation to the world of work and prepare the learner to engage in honest and gainful work. The objectives of secondary education are threefold: 1. Continue the general education started in elementary. 2. Prepare the learners for college. 3. Prepare the learners for the world of work. The objectives of non-formal education are as follows: 1. Eradicate illiteracy and raise the level of functional literacy of the population; MODULE 2: THE PHILIPPINE BASIC EDUCATION CURRICULUM 39 TEACHER INDUCTION PROGRAM LESSON 3: I KNOW THE BEC: HOW DO I MAKE IT ALIVE? 2. Provide an alternative means of learning and certification for out-of-school youth and adults; 3. Develop among the learners the proper values, attitudes, and knowledge to enable them to think critically and act creatively for personal, community, and national development. To operationalize the official learning goals, the BEC, was organized into four (4) learning areas, considered as the core or tool subjects and one (1) non–core subject. The core subjects for both the elementary and secondary levels are the following: Filipino English Mathematics Science The fifth subject, called Makabayan, was designated as the â€Å"practice environment for holistic learning to develop a healthy personal and national selfidentity†. BEC, 2002) Makabayan has several components as follows: Elementary Level Sibika at Kultura (SK) (I-III) Heograpiya, Kasaysayan, Sibika (HKS) (IV-VI) Musika, Sining at Edukasyong Pangkatawan (MSEP) (Integrated in Grades I-III; Separate subjects in Grades IV-VI) Edukasyong Pantahanan at Pangkabuhayan (EPP) (IV-VI) Edukasyong Pagpapakatao (EP); Separ ate subject from Grade I-VI Secondary Level Araling Panlipunan Technology and Livelihood Education (TLE) Musika, Sining at Edukasyong Pangkatawan at Pangkalusugan Edukasyon sa Pagpapahalaga SCQ 3. 3 MODULE 2: THE PHILIPPINE BASIC EDUCATION CURRICULUM 40 Review the objectives of elementary education which are continued in secondary education and the structure of the BEC. Do the objectives relate to the TEACHER INDUCTION PROGRAM LESSON 3: I KNOW THE BEC: HOW DO I MAKE IT ALIVE? READ The Philippine Elementary Learning Competencies (PELC) and the Philippine Secondary Learning Competencies (PSLC) If you are an elementary school teacher, the PELC is your â€Å"bible†. If you are in the secondary schools, the PSLC is your â€Å"bible’. They are the documents that you have to study religiously because they are the sources of your objectives and they prescribe the contents of your lessons as well as the strategies and assessment procedures to use. The PELC and the PSLC define the intermediate and the specific learning goals that your pupils are expected to learn and that you, as a teacher, are expected to achieve. You will base your daily lessons on the PELC or PSLC. MODULE 2: THE PHILIPPINE BASIC EDUCATION CURRICULUM 41 TEACHER INDUCTION PROGRAM LESSON 3: I KNOW THE BEC: HOW DO I MAKE IT ALIVE? The PELC and PSLC are organized according to learning areas so you have a list of objectives and competencies from Grades I-VI and from first year to fourth year for English, Filipino, Mathematics, Science and Health and for all the Makabayan Components. They are issued under separate covers, that is, there is a handbook for each learning area. It is now your turn to become more familiar with the PELC or the PSLC. Get the Handbook for the learning area that you are teaching and go through it. ACTIVITY 3. 3 As you examine your Handbook for your learning area, answer the following questions: 1. What are the parts of your Handbook? . What information do you get from each part? 3. Why is it important that you familiarize yourself with each part of your Handbook? You may want to team with another teacher and compare the features of your Handbook. (See comments on page 65) READ Study the PELC/PSLC and look at the sample expectations and or learning outcomes for the learning areas. For th