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In an effort to strengthen our educational structure and compete with neighboring countries, the Philippines extended its 10-year education system and adopted the 12-year system to provide sufficient time for mastery of concepts and skills, develop lifelong learners, and prepare graduates for tertiary education, middle-level skills development, employment, and entrepreneurship.
According to the Official Gazette of the Republic of the Philippines, our country was one of the world's last countries to adopt a K-12 system, and one of three countries, along with Angola and Djibouti, with a 10-year educational system.
In 2012, the Philippines implemented its "K to 12" Program, a substantial reform of its basic education system to catch up with the global secondary education norms, placing a strong importance on kindergarten.
Kindergarten and twelve years of basic education, six years of primary school, four years of Junior High School, and two years of Senior High School (SHS) are covered under the K–12 Program.
Every Filipino child now has access to early childhood education. Children begin learning at age five and are provided with the tools to adapt to formal instruction gradually.
Students can select a specialization based on their abilities, passions, and the school's capacity throughout their two years of specialized secondary education in Senior High School. The subjects a student will take in Grades 11 and 12 will depend on their selected track.
A Pulse Asia survey commissioned by Senator Sherwin Gatchalian revealed that an increasing number of Filipino people are dissatisfied with the country's K-12 basic education system.
The survey, conducted from June 24 to 27, 2022, found that 44% of respondents were dissatisfied with the program, 39% were satisfied, and 18% were uncertain.
During the Basic Education Report 2023, Vice President and Secretary of the Department of Education Sara Duterte said we have taken small steps but need to take more.
The Department of Education, guided by the Philippine Constitution, the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, and the Sustainable Development Goals, reaffirms our commitment to improving the quality of basic education in the country. They are also starting the review of the Senior High School.
However, to further improve education in the Philippines, the Department of Education unveiled the MATATAG curriculum in August of last year, which is intended for students in kindergarten to tenth grade. It garnered a positive response from teachers and other stakeholders.
According to Teacher Leila Espith Carnice from Piedad Central Elementary School, they believe that the MATATAG curriculum is better than the existing curriculum.
“We believe that the MATATAG curriculum is better than the existing curriculum because of some competencies. We also realize that some of the competencies for a particular grade level of the last curriculum, K to 12, maybe too complex or may not be needed anymore,” she said.
The new curriculum’s priorities are to strengthen the students’ competencies, ease the provision of basic education, construct additional learning facilities, and promote a positive learning environment and the students' well-being.
“The MATATAG curriculum represents a bold step forward in our collective pursuit of excellence in basic education. It is a decongested curriculum – teachers no longer need to rush teaching competencies. It focuses on foundational skills in literacy, numeracy, and socio-emotional skills in the early grades. It has strengthened good manners and right conduct, values education and peace education, and has articulated clearly the 21st century skills,” Vice President Sara Duterte said during the National Summit of the MATATAG Curriculum Pilot Implementers.
Currently, teachers are preparing to implement the new curriculum this school year 2024- 2025 for kindergarten and grades one, four, and seven.
According to the Chief of the Curriculum Implementation Division of Davao City, Alma Cifra, they will be conducting mass training and training of trainers all over Region 11 to ensure that the curriculum will be implemented accordingly.
“On July 1-5 and July 8-12, we will be having a mass training of the MATATAG curriculum, and from April 27 to May 1, we will have the training of trainers all over Region 11 so that they will really be cascading this MATATAG curriculum among the respective schools,” Cifra said.
“Because it will be a great change in our curriculum, take note na I-decongest ang curriculum from how many thousands of competencies to a lesser number of competencies, so we are preparing the 434 public schools at Davao City to really be prepared,” she added.
“Because of the decongestion of competencies, imagine from the many competencies in each learning area it is already lessened from seven learning areas nagiging five na siya from Grade 1 to 3. (Because of the decongestion competencies, imagine from the many competencies in each learning area it is already lessened, from seven learning areas, down to five from Grade 1 to 3,)” she stated.
During the National Summit of the MATATAG Curriculum Pilot Implementers on February 16, 2024, held at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC), Pasay City Vice President and Secretary of the Department of Education Sara Duterte stated that the implementing of the new curriculum in more than 40,000 schools nationwide has been a challenge.
“We know the huge challenge of implementing the new curriculum in more than 40,000 schools across the country. We are truly grateful for the 35 schools that have taken the challenge to implement it ahead of the others. With your pioneering efforts, with your participation, we gain needed insights, and get practical insights on the challenges of implementation and the probable solutions to address them. All of you here today are helping us prepare for the implementation of the MATATAG curriculum beginning the school year 2024-2025.” Duterte said.
Inday Sara expressed her gratitude for the dedication and service of every teacher in shaping the knowledge of Filipino young people and for accepting the challenge tied to the purpose of developing the education system in the country.
“Thank you to all our superintendents, supervisors, and principals of pilot schools. Your dedication is crucial to overcoming the obstacles we face as we roll out this new curriculum. Most of all, thank you to our teachers in the pilot schools. You are the first to embrace the MATATAG curriculum. You are the first to teach it. It is never easy to be the first to implement. Thank you very much for your courage, work, dedication, and service to our country,” she stated.
In the school year 2025-2026 the MATATAG curriculum will be implemented in Grades 2, 5, and 8. Grades 3, 6, and 9 will be implemented in the 2026-2027 school year, and Grade 10 in school year 2027-2028.
Sa pagsisikap na palakasin ang ating sistemang pang-edukasyon at makipagkompetensya sa mga kalapit na bansa, pinalawig ng Pilipinas ang 10-taong sistema ng edukasyon at pinagtibay ang 12-taong sistema ang layunin na "to provide sufficient time for mastery of concepts and skills, develop lifelong learners, and prepare graduates for tertiary education, middle-level skills development, employment, and entrepreneurship.”
Ayon sa Official Gazette of the Republic of the Philippines, ang Pilipinas ay isa sa mga huling bansa sa mundo na nagpatibay ng K-12 system. Isa ito sa tatlong bansa, kasama ang Angola at Djibouti, na mayroong 10 taong sistema ng edukasyon.
Noong 2012 ipinatupad ng Pilipinas ang "K to 12" Program, isang malaking reporma sa basic education system. Ang Pilipinas ay nakakakuha ng mga pandaigdigang pamantayan sa sekondaryang edukasyon at naglalagay ng matinding kahalagahan sa kindergarten.
Ang kindergarten at labindalawang taon ng pangunahing edukasyon, anim na taon ng elementarya, apat na taon ng Junior High School, at dalawang taon ng Senior High School (SHS) ay sakop ng K–12 Program.
Ang bawat batang Pilipino ay mayroon na ngayong access sa early childhood education. Nagsisimulang matuto ang mga bata sa edad na lima at binibigyan sila ng mga tool upang unti-unting umangkop sa pormal na pagtuturo.
Maaaring pumili ang mga mag-aaral ng espesyalisasyon batay sa kanilang mga kakayahan, hilig, at kapasidad ng paaralan sa kabuuan ng kanilang dalawang taon ng espesyal na sekondaryang edukasyon sa Senior High School. Ang mga paksang kukunin ng isang mag-aaral sa Baitang 11 at 12 ay depende sa larangan na kanilang pipiliin.
Sa survey na isinagawa mula Hunyo 24 hanggang 27, 2022, 44% ng mga respondents ang hindi nasisiyahan sa programa, 39% ang nasiyahan, at 18% ang hindi sigurado.
Sa Basic Education Report 2023, sinabi ni Bise Presidente at Kalihim ng Kagawaran ng Edukasyon Sara Duterte na gumagawa na tayo ng mga maliliit na hakbang ngunit kailangan nating gumawa ng higit pa.
Ang Kagawaran ng Edukasyon, na ginagabayan ng Philippine Constitution, United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, at ang Sustainable Development Goals, ay muling nagpapatibay sa ating pangako sa pagpapabuti ng kalidad ng pangunahing edukasyon sa bansa.
Nagsisimula na rin sila sa pagsusuri ng Senior High School. Gayunpaman, upang higit na mapabuti ang edukasyon sa Pilipinas, inihayag ng Kagawaran ng Edukasyon ang MATATAG kurikulum noong Agosto ng nakaraang taon, na nilayon para sa mga mag-aaral sa kindergarten hanggang ikasampung baitang.
Ang bagong kurikulum ay mas angkop dahil maihahanda nito ang mga estudyante sa kanilang pipiliing trabaho sa hinaharap.
Makakatulong din ito sa kanila bilang maging aktibo at responsableng mamamayan.
Ayon kay Teacher Leila Espith Carnice mula sa Piedad Central Elementary School, naniniwala silang mas maganda ang kurikulum ng MATATAG kaysa sa kasalukuyang curriculum.
“We believe that MATATAG curriculum is better than the existing curriculum because of some competencies. We also realize that some of the competency for a particular grade level of the last curriculum K to 12 maybe too complex or may not needed anymore. (Naniniwala kami na ang MATATAG kurikulum ay mas maganda kaysa sa kasalukuyang kurikulum dahil sa ilang competencies. natutunan din namin dahil ang ilan sa competency para sa isang partikular na grade level ng last curriculum k to 12 maaring masyadong komplex o maaring hindi na kailangan,”) wika ni Carnice.
Ang prayoridad nito ay ang pagpapabilis ng basic education services at pagpapatayo ng karagdagang pasilidad pati na rin ang pagsulong ng inclusive learning, positive learning at ng kabutihan ng mga mag-aaral.
“The MATATAG curriculum represents a bold step forward in our collective pursuit of excellence in basic education. It is a decongested curriculum – teachers no longer need to rush the teaching of competencies. It focuses on foundational skills in literacy, numeracy and socio-emotional skills in the early grades. It has strengthened good manners and right conduct, values education and peace education, and has articulated clearly the 21st century skills.
(Ang MATATAG kurikulum ay kumakatawan sa isang matapang na hakbang sa pagsulong sa ating sama-samang paghahangad ng kahusayan sa pangunahing edukasyon. Ito ay isang decongested na kurikulum - hindi na kailangang madaliin ng mga guro ang pagtuturo ng mga kakayahan. Nakatuon ito sa mga pangunahing kasanayan sa literacy, numeracy at socio-emotional na kasanayan sa mga unang baitang. Pinalakas nito ang mabuting asal at tamang pag-uugali, pinahahalagahan ang edukasyon at edukasyong pangkapayapaan, at malinaw na naipahayag ang mga kasanayan sa ika-21 siglo,”) wika ni Inday Sara isinagawang National Summit of the MATATAG Curriculum Pilot Implementers.
Ngayong school year 2024-2025, ipapatupad ang nasabing kurikulum sa Kindergarten, mga Grades 1, 4, at 7.
Ayon sa Chief of Curriculum Implementation Division ng Davao City, Alma Cifra, magsasagawa sila ng mass training at training ng mga trainer sa buong Region 11.
“On July 1-5 and July 8-12 we will be having a mass training of the MATATAG curriculum and this April 27 to May 1 we will have the training of trainers all over Region 11 so that they will really be cascading this MATATAG curriculum among the respective schools. (Sa July 1-5 at July 8-12 ay magkakaroon tayo ng mass training ng MATATAG kurikulum at ngayong April 27 to May 1 ay mayroong training sa mga trainera sa buong Region 11 para talagang mabahagi nila itong MATATAG kurikulum sa kani-kanilang paaralan.”) wika ni Cifra.
“Because it will be a great change in our curriculum, take note na I-decongest ang curriculum from how many thousands of competencies to a lesser number of competencies so we are preparing the 434 public schools at that in Davao City to really be prepared. (Dahil magiging malaking pagbabago ito sa ating kurikulum, decongested ang ating kurikulum, mula sa napakaraming competencies ngayon ay iilan na lamang ito kaya inihahanda namin ang 434 na mga pampublikong paaralan sa lungsod ng Dabaw.”) ayon kay Cifra.
“Because of the decongestion of competencies, imagine from the many competencies in each learning area it is already lessened from 7 learning areas nagiging 5 na siya from grade 1 to 3. (Dahil sa decongestion competencies, mula sa napakaraming competencies sa bawat learning area ngayon ay nagging 5 na lamang mula sa 7 sa mga Grade 1 hanggang 3,”) dagdag ni Cifra.
Sa National Summit ng MATATAG Curriculum Pilot Implementers noong Pebrero 16, 2024 na ginanap sa Philippine International Convention Center (PICC), ipinahayag ni Pasay City Vice President at Secretary of the Department of Education Sara Duterte na ang pagpapatupad ng bagong curriculum sa mahigit 40,000 Ang mga paaralan sa buong bansa ay naging isang hamon.
“We know the huge challenge of implementing the new curriculum in more than 40,000 schools across the country. We are truly grateful for the 35 schools that have taken the challenge to implement it ahead of the others. (Alam natin ang malaking hamon ng pagpapatupad ng bagong kurikulum sa mahigit 40,000 paaralan sa buong bansa. Kami ay tunay na nagpapasalamat para sa 35 mga paaralan na tumanggap ng hamon na ipatupad ito nang mas maaga kaysa sa iba,”) wika ni VP Sara.
Pinasalamatan niya ang hindi matatawaran na serbisyo ng mga guro at iba pa sa paghubog ng kaalaman ng mga kabataang Pilipino at sa pagtanggap sa hamon na nakatali sa layunin ng pagpapaunlad ng sistema ng edukasyon sa bansa.
“Thank you to all our superintendents, supervisors and principals of pilot schools. Your dedication is crucial to overcoming the obstacles we face as we roll out this new curriculum. Most of all, thank you to our teachers in the pilot schools. You are the first to embrace the MATATAG curriculum. You are the first to teach it. It is never easy to be the first to implement. Thank you very much for your courage, work, dedication and service to our country. (Salamat sa lahat ng aming mga superintendents, supervisors at punong-guro ng mga pilot school. Ang inyong dedikasyon ay mahalaga sa paglampas sa mga hadlang na ating kinakaharap habang inilulunsad natin ang bagong kurikulum na ito. Higit sa lahat, salamat sa ating mga guro sa mga pilot school. Kayo ang unang yumakap sa kurikulum ng MATATAG. Kayo ang unang magturo nito. Hindi kailanman madaling maging unang ipatupad. Maraming salamat sa inyong lakas ng loob, trabaho, dedikasyon at paglilingkod sa ating bansa,”) ayon kay VP Sara.
Sa taong panuruan 2025-2026 ang kurikulum ng MATATAG ay ipapatupad sa Baitang 2, 5 at 8. Ipapatupad ang Grade 3, 6 at 9 sa school year 2026-2027 at sa Grade 10 naman ay sa school year 2027-2028.