While the controversial Corona impeachment trial went on with little to no observable progress, the Department of Education had come up with a controversy of its own; albeit inconspicuous to Filipinos whose attentions are glued to PNoy’s holy crusade to allegedly bring Arroyo and her lackeys to justice. Manila Bulletin reported the following last January 24, 2012:
“The Department of Education (DepEd) has decided to drop “Science” from the roster of subjects taken up by incoming Grade 1 pupils in line with its efforts to decongest the Basic Education Curriculum and to make learning more enjoyable to young learners.”
Moreover, Education Secretary Armin Luistro argues that such steps were taken in accordance with the K+12 curriculum, “based on the idea that we should be taking the students where they are.”
Luistro attempted to give DepEd’s drastic measure some merit by insisting that Science concepts will be integrated in first graders’ subjects anyway, although they will no longer have an actual science subject. According to the article, the subjects for first graders under the new K+12 curriculum would be:
“…Mother Tongue, Filipino, Edukasyon sa Pagpapakatao, Music, Art, Physical Education and Health (MAPEH), Mathematics, Araling Panlipunan, and English – which will be taught in the second semester and will mainly focus on oral fluency.”
Finally, it has been stated that the Science subject will instead be introduced in the third grade, while Edukasyong Pantahanan at Pangkabuhayan and Technology and Livelihood Education will be taken up fourth and sixth grade, respectively.
(To read the actual article, visit this link.)
Indeed, it is quite harrowing to visualize the morbid picture of our current educational system. With the intention of making learning “more enjoyable to students,” DepEd had the audacity to actually remove one of the core fields of knowledge in a child’s primary education. Another unsettling thing in this blunder of DepEd is the sheer ambiguity of the provisions of the K+12 curriculum regarding the removal of the Science subject. Luistro maintains that while Science will cease to be an actual subject for first graders, science concepts will be introduced in their remaining subjects.
Does Luistro realize the chaotic implications of his statement? First and foremost, what exactly are the parameters in implementing this policy? To what extent should these “concepts” be integrated in the other subjects? How often should they be integrated? What is the scope of the concepts to be integrated? The fact that Luistro didn’t even allude to such important factors makes this atrocious move of DepEd’s even less credible.
What’s even more worrying is how first-grade students will receive such pandemonium. What if you’re discussing Philippine history, when suddenly the teacher sidetracks the lesson to scientific concepts? The bigger problem is that, since the students do not have a solid background on science, discussions will be filled with confusion on what the teacher is actually talking about, and why he or she is talking about it in the first place. Have Luistro and the Department even given these implications a single thought, before recklessly twisting our educational system?
Another ambiguity demonstrated by Luistro is the Department’s intention in abolishing Science as part of the curriculum for first-graders. What exactly did he mean by “taking the students where they are?” Where exactly are they, and in what terms? For something as crucial as education, Luistro’s vagueness in his justifications hardly gave DepEd’s decision any credence.
Given the facts laid in front of us, it is right, necessary even, to infer from what we have gathered regarding this issue. Just what is DepEd planning to do? On the top of my head, I can think of at least three major possibilities:
1. That DepEd is really just after the student’s enjoyment in school, like what Luistro asserted. But what makes this goal unsavoury is that a solid ground in basic scientific knowledge is being sacrificed for the sake of “enjoyment.” This is a false dichotomy; maximizing a student’s enjoyment in learning does not necessitate removing a cornerstone of basic knowledge. It necessitates proper teaching and its maintenance. To ignore this will betray DepEd’s laziness to set things right, and instead will go for the easy way and outright abolish the subject, in the guise of “making learning more fun for students.”
2. That DepEd is starting its own nationalism campaign. You will notice that in place of Science, Mother Tongue has been listed as one of the subjects for the first-grade level, with Filipino as a separate subject. Won’t this make learning Filipino superfluous? I do not have issues with aiming to enlighten the youth in the Filipino language and culture, but is this cause worthy enough to set aside a subject that helped civilization throughout the course of its existence? Does DepEd prioritize nationalism over science? Should this be the actual objective of DepEd, we just might have a case of misplaced priorities here.
3. That DepEd might be on a dumbing-down campaign. From the K+12 curriculum that punishes families while doing nothing substantial about the deteriorating quality of education in the Philippines, now we have the abolition of Science as a subject. Is DepEd deliberately making decent education increasingly inaccessible to the average Juan? This supposition might border on conspiracy theory, but, given the circumstances, we cannot dismiss the possibility, or even the probability of this idea. Is the government pursuing the gradual “dumbing down” of the masses for some ulterior motive?
For the time being, our speculations will remain as plain speculations. However, this one thing is true; Philippine education is slowly going down the drain. This fact is reason enough for us to call for a close scrutiny of what has become of our society, its root causes, and what can be done to resolve such issues. Problems like education transcend the trivialities churned out by mainstream media, ranging from Kris Aquino’s drivel to PNoy’s uninteresting love life.
This is worrisome indeed.
I checked the US’ and Canada’s K12 curriculum. Science is introduced as early as kindergarten.
I can’t understand why science is being introduced formally in Grade 3? Could it be that there’s a religious agenda here by the DepEd secretary? Being a religious person, he might not be so thrilled about science.
Here’s a link to the curriculum package in British Columbia, Canada:
http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/irp/gc.php?lang=en
Impressive, I must say.
But I prefer this.
http://www.dpi.state.nc.us/curriculum/science/units/elementary/
while political stories in this country is scary enough, this monkeying around with our educational system by removing one of the basis for our civilization to move forward is most terrifying. if migrating to other countries is impossible as of the moment, parents must decide for home schooling instead…
If this would be the educational system when I already have kids, I’d definitely opt for homeschooling.
And why the need for a “Mother Tongue” subject in school? Can’t these be learned at home? Or maybe incorporated in Filipino subject?
The problem perhaps is that our present teachers cannot find a way to teach science in an enjoyable way. Also, we cannot make the good, skilled teachers stay because of the meager pay.
Or maybe there aren’t enough teachers who are qualified to teach Science?
napoleon in essence said
‘ to control the masses, keep them poor, religious, entertained, and uneducated – then they are subservient, grateful and no threat to the staus quo’
Removing that subject makes the children even more dumber, moronic and god delusional.
I happened to ENJOY our science classes at first grade. I say they should keep it. History, although arguably necessary, is such a bore. I do agree that most Filipinos can’t actually talk properly in the mother tongue. For a language that can be easily spelled, many use jejemon. That saddens me.
Yes, I did enjoy my science classes too. And the interest is cultivated initially at home. The problem is some of the parents, themselves, are not interested in it.
Funny, in Singapore, they’re teaching area calculation in preschool.
History is very important for us. How can we learn from our mistakes and how can we move forward if you ignore history? Great nations such as United States, Canada, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, etc. are progressive despite on the current economic crisis because they cherish their own history. History promotes nationalism and social awareness but unfortunately many history and social studies teachers lecture on people, time and place. History should be taught on how and why.
Science, mathematics, language and history are very important for Grade One students. The English language should be taught from the secondary up to the tertiary level. Most of all, the Spanish language should be restored by reviving the Cuenco law that requires schools, colleges and universities to teach Spanish to all students.
P.S. Spanish-style education is applicable in our educational system because we are Hispanized Malays or Hispanics.
When everyone around the world is striving hard to speak fluent English, why make it compulsory now to learn Spanish? How does that provide one a job abroad unless one strives to work in Spanish-speaking countries- which is not often likely? This is just counter-progressive as well as irrelevant. Instead, why can’t Tagalog/Filipino subject just be introduced to us non-tagalog speakers in the secondary schools?
A lot of the dialects are dying thanks to the imposed nationalistic front of many ignoys who believe that being a true filipino is to speak tagalog only. Being able to speak tagalog won’t necessarily provide one a job, and losing English as the educational medium means you won’t allow them expansive job opportunitites.
Why can’t little tackers be taught elementary business maths like other East Asian kids to develop business sense when they go to college and learn to be competitive entrepreneurs? You know a lot of Indians become great scientists, engineers, business entrepreneurs because they make sure the youth are taught right at early age. From prep to Year 12, they’re provided great foundations in maths, science, their rich history and English- to take them wherever they want to be by the time they graduate university. Somehow, these so called liberal-minded educators are trying to think like what Americans have now been incorporating in their public schools. Well, guess where it lead them. Instill in the youth not just diligence and efficiency, but also teach them basic ethics(never abandon discipline). They should not forget to incorporate in them wisdom.
Otherwise, forget sending them to some ‘school’ and just educate them at home (or do distance education online). Perhaps this will be less costly than waste a kid’s ass sitting in a fruitless, moronic level of lectures that doesn’t sieve in the kid’s head a deep and meaningful knowledge to fuel productivity and creativity.
I also wish for open universities as well as free basic education for all. Knowledge should be a right and not a privilege.
India’s Vedic Math looks awesome, imo.
I’m assuming Edukasyong Pagpapakatao talks about values? They placed values ed first before Science. Isn’t it something first learned at home? I find it absurd that they’d rather introduce Science in the later years than start sooner. Isn’t it one of the basics, together with Mathematics? Really, what’s DepEd up to? I can’t think of anything but to further degrade the value of education of the next generation.
Science ang pinaka interesting at pinaka masayang subject of learning especially for children…hayzzz so much of daang matuwid
more ENJOYABLE?!?!?!?!?!?! is this an insinuation that science is not an enjoyable subject?…do you want to rate the subjects that are enjoyable to kids? try filipino…how many kids “love” and enjoy that subject..make another survey..its not even in the top choices… enjoyable? thats your reason? are they promoting the “ignorance is bliss” theme? for years we have the lowest scores in asia when it came to science and mathematics…did they even ask the kids if they preferred to have science taken out of their subjects?…it seems that we now have to definitely home school our children, nephews and nieces…lets just call them the younger generation… enjoyment does not mean kids learn…they may just be goofing off in school now…im thinking that private schools can still add the science subject even if deped wants it out…im hoping private schools have a right to keep the subjects even if they are taken out from public schools…
“For the time being, our speculations will remain as plain speculations.” Then what is the point of bringing them up?
I’m not so sure dropping the science is a good idea, but I’m not sure it’s a bad idea, either, or one with nefarious aims. I have a first-grader in public school, and I think the present curriculum is too heavy for six-year-olds. Science is important to teach kids how to learn other things, but that’s not how it’s taught here in the first place, so it at least needs to be changed — maybe dropping it and picking it up later, after the kids are a bit better-tuned for learning to begin with is a better idea. Values is not entirely bad, either, which you’d realize once you see a couple dozen ill-mannered, untrained by the parents, poorly-socialized youngsters all in the same room.
“Then what is the point of bringing them up?”
The sentences that followed the one you quoted will answer that; although they are speculations for the time being (due to absence of solid evidence), they can nevertheless inspire an in-depth investigation of what’s happening in our educational system. And the speculations aren’t without merit either; they are founded on the data we have in our hands.
With regards to the abolition of Science as a subject, what I do take issue is how DepEd will allegedly “integrate” science concepts in the rest of the subjects. Won’t that make things confusing, as first-graders won’t have a solid scientific background to begin with?
There is indeed a problem with how subjects are being taught in schools. However, I do not believe that depriving first-graders of scientific knowledge is the best recourse. The key lies on the “scope” of what’s being taught. I believe DepEd should focus on such matters.
I don’t have issues with Values either. I don’t recall criticizing it in my article, so I agree with you there.
Like I said, I’m not sure that the curriculum change is the best idea, either. But until I see what the new curriculum involves, exactly, I can’t automatically condemn it. Certainly not on the basis of an article in the local paper, anyway, and certainly not by judging how far it deviates from the current norm. The norm is a total disaster and it all needs to be changed.
The people in the local and district levels know that(I expend most of my “community service”-type efforts on the public schools), but the reality is the fine details of the curriculum are like Problem #452, and they’re still trying to figure out #3 or #4. I’ll give them credit for having the right intentions at least; whether or not they are making the best of what they have to work with, well, there’s room for discussion, for sure.
Well, I respect that you intend to give DepEd’s decision the benefit of the doubt. Your input is very much appreciated.
I’ll condemn it anyway. I learned the difference between whales and sharks when I was in kindergarten, thanks to my old teacher. That was science back in the day.
Of course, values education back then was a parental duty; teachers merely supplemented what parents already imparted.
As for mother tongue, that’s just making a dumb thing sound smart. I grew up tri-lingual, and now am literate in 5 languages. All that came from parents’ (and grandparents’) drive and the old, NON-nationalistic curriculum.
Besides that, long before the DepEd started making people stupid, our grandparents were all qualified to teach grade school if they had finished a [i][b]secondary[/b][/i] education.
In my own opinion, one of the problems in our educational system is the appointment of Deped secretaries that do not have background about basic education, though I do not underestimate their capabilities but it’s different if they are someone who rose from the rank of basic educators….like a teacher who became superintendent or regional director…. these are the people who really know what the students really need having in the classroom for many years…….another thing is that….values education subjects should not be taken as separate subject because it is already integrated in all subject areas but instead, reading and comprehension should be given more emphasis coz as a teacher for twenty years,this is the basic problem that i see among our students. Why not make them focus on the basic before going to the more complicated? With so many subjects, the students already feel exhausted that they can no longer absorb what are taught to them everyday…What a waste of time, effort and money……..
I agree with you. DepEd secretary should have a background on being an educator, through and through. Our secretaries are intelligent individuals, but I have yet to see one who knows the system in and out. I don’t have a problem with e number of subjects in schools. It’s just the manner of teaching it and the subject content, which are not matched to age.
Theocracy is slowly rearing its ugly head among our unsuspecting youth. Science has all the answers and certainly not that book written by primitive herders of goats. They still cling on in teaching lies about the origins of man and the universe always pointing to that invisible man up there as the one responsible. In taking away science at an early age, we might be waking up one day with a generation of kids relying on deities, prayers and faith rather than science.
I think you are overanalyzing already.
If their rationale revolves around the idea that a subject can be implicitly be incorporated into others, thus can be removed from the roster.
Then, wouldn’t it make more sense if they instead, choose between Filipino and English language subject? Given that both can have an identical structure.
But perhaps, a better idea to try is to combine the study of both language into a single subject.
I don’t know if it’s just me, but I noticed some teachers prefer to teach English by comparing it with the mother tongue. So combining them can provide the teacher with a platform to compare them. Well, that’s just a mere thought.
On the other hand, I believe that Science is an important subject to be learned by almost everyone out there.
However, its own importance is directly proportional with its complexity – and can be difficult to have a grasp of great understanding, even for the adults.
That holds true, given the fact how much Science had grown from the time of its formal discovery – and it keeps growing.
However, the modern age can be demanding. Given how we humans, rely on our Science.
As a Christian myself, God and science must come along together. Not the other way around. How can we invent something without science?
Wait, how did god come with science? Yes, we do discover and invent things using science. What does god have to do with all of that except maybe that invisible pat ion your own back, a self-acknowledgement?
Learn world history dear, please. At least read about the short history of progress or basically watch a lot of history documentaries. Or, better yet, take a course in archaeology to enlighten yourself. Religion drove order and precision among ancient civilisations, and had been a significant contribution to other branches of knowledge. Modern science will not be what it is now without its early foundations. The bible isn’t devoid of hinting science that we know of, either, so don’t dismiss religion, which has been here since the inception of human consciousness, and associate it with regression and imbecility.
You took the words out of my fingers, miss.
Also, amen.
This proposed curriculum is almost the same as the one I had in my Catholic all-boys grade school back in the 1990s. I assume this is also the Catholic grade school experience of the leadership of DepEd: it turned out fine for them, so they’re ok with it.
Here’s what I remember (subjects with Filipino names are taught in Filipino, I would also indicate some subjects with English names that are taught in Filipino):
- There was no Science in grade 1. It, along with PE, was integrated in Sibika at Kultura (Civics and Culture) mainly due to the supplementary magazine* we received. We started Science in grade 3.
- Being a Catholic school, Religion was taught in place of Values Education.
- There was no Mother Tongue (the regional language?) subject in grade school at all, it’s not even integrated in the Filipino subject.** Religion, of all subjects, was where we discussed the local traditions concerning the patron saint.
- Musika, Sining at Araling Pisikal (Music, Art and Physical Education) was introduced as a separate subject in 3rd grade.
- Under the subject Edukasyong Pantahanan at Pangkabuhayan (EPP), Edukasyong Pantahanan (Home Economics) was taught in grade 4 and Pangkabuhayan (Practical Arts) was taught in grade 5. Also in grade 5, the topic of male puberty (we were all boys) was included in the EPP subject. It was hilarious learning the Filipino terms for the male reproductive system. So yes, even Catholic grade schools have some sort of sex education. Computer, taught in English, was supposedly the EPP for grade 6.
Notes
* This is a forced subscription. There’s always a supplementary magazine in one or two subjects every school year.
** I got my limited education about my native region and its language in high school where some topics were discussed in History and Filipino subjects. The student literary magazine also accepted works written in our regional language.
Additional notes 1:
About the supplementary magazine, we went along with them back then, but now that I’m older and supposedly wiser, I realize forced subscriptions are more of business than education. It implies that textbooks are lacking, perhaps with the latest knowledge, the fun factor or whatever. But I think that’s where the teacher is supposed to step in. The magazine, if it’s really that good, should be available in the library and not be forced upon all students. Thing is, they’re actually printed on cheap paper and contained rehashed articles from somewhere else. We had magazine and newspaper subscriptions at home and these were far better.
Additional notes 2:
We boys weren’t taught about female puberty in that EPP subject in grade 5. Instead, we got it in grade 6 Science, I think. Ah well, that’s Catholic school sex education for you.
Additional notes 3:
So you’re worried about the lack of science education? Someone mentioned it earlier regarding values education, but I think it applies to all subjects: Education starts at home.
While it was a bummer that I couldn’t show off my science knowledge as early as grade 1, the fact that I had science knowledge back then means that I, everyone in fact, could and did turn out well even if the science education in schools is lacking.
How? We had science books back home. Most of the magazines I mentioned earlier were science based: National Geographic, Discover, Popular Mechanics, Air & Space, Smithsonian, Scientific American, etc. It helped that my father, even though he is a religious conservative, is interested in science. When he answered my childhood questions, he’d find a scientific explanation with those books and magazines before saying “God did it because God is good”.
Well, problem is, not all parents are interested in science. So they don’t cultivate the interest in their kids. That’s where schools should come in, give kids proper exposure and education on basic knowledge like science and math
Also not all parents understand science. Back in 2nd grade my mom used to teach me that the earth is flat and that the sun revolved around the moon and that the sun was the biggest planet in the universe. Boy was I embarrassed when I tried to flex my science knowledge in my 2nd grade class.
I have a countermeasure proposal against the DepEd’s ‘flawed’ K-12 program. Let’s start a campaign making the parents themselves teach science for their children. I know it will be a daunting task but it can also strengthen family bonds at the same time.
And here I thought that our country couldn’t sink any lower and I was proven wrong. I really wonder about DepEd’s agenda are they deliberately making the younger generation dumber so that they can easily be swayed(ignorance is a tool of control)or is some up high up skimping on the expenses to line up their own pockets? This is not a good omen folks.
just when you thought this country couldn’t sink any deeper..
great. escudero wanted to ditch math. luistro wants to ditch science (well, at least for a year). anyone wants to ditch the language subjects? it would be more fun in the philippines if everybody’s just making unrecognizable sounds, whimpers, shrieks and moans.
da philippines: more morons, more fun!
it’s moron-tastic!
Noynoy Aquino and this idiot want us to become as ignorant, as they can make us…anyway, most of us will turn out as OFW slaves and Drug Mules for their Hacinda Luisita Mafia…or farm laborers in their Hacienda Luisita. Paid U.S. $2 a day…when you complain, you are murdered…
well I didn’t read the whole thing, but take Finland whose kids don’t start school until age 7 (that’s 2nd grade here in the Philippines) and whose students get the number one highest score in PISA (Programme for international student assessment)beating Japan, US, UK, GErmany, and Korea.
Try reading girls on the edge and boys adrift by Leonard Sax. Earlier does not always mean better.
The concept is simple, start by making kids love learning, then teach them at the right time when their brain is ready to take it. You have to grow the curiosity first before teaching them. All this comes from Leonard Sax’s books and me as a Highschool student. Maybe they read his books or copying Finland. If you just teach them without first enhancing their curiosity or love for learning they will associate books and school with prison and dictatorship. Teaching is not an art but a science
*teaching is not a science but an art.
I understand where you’re coming from. However, if we are to discuss within the context of DepEd’s decision, the crucial question is this: How do they intend to make up for the abolition of science as a subject?
I have sufficiently pointed out the implications of DepEd’s vague method of integrating science concepts in the remaining subjects, most of which are hardly even related to science.
Given Finland’s dedication to education, indeed, earlier does not mean “better.” But Finland’s success does not give DepEd’s move any merit, given the fact that DepEd does not even practice “curiosity cultivation” in the first place. This is a false analogy.
If they really want to make positive changes, then they might be doing the wrong move, as I have pointed out in my article (or they might have some agenda). Cultivating curiosity is certainly a laudable idea, make no mistake about it, but don’t you think they should focus on it first before simply taking out science to “take students where they are?”
I don’t like the idea of having Science take the backseat.
Pero, just for clarification, wala naman talagang Science sa Grade One dati pa. Di ba?
That’s only for Catholic schools, as I have mentioned above. My cohorts in the public schools had their Science as early as grade 1.
HOLY CRAP! No Science?! We’re raising sheeps now?
is this aligned to more fun in the philippines? common sense is deped program should address the quality of basic education. if you remove science on grade 1 basic curriculum,i don’t see any reason to implement this. i thought they will include differential and integral calculus in school and also chinese language proficiency since the global economy will shift to china in this century. also basic computer program can be taught in kidergarten.
there are many deficiencies to fill up in the basic curriculum including technical skill training, why do they remove science subject on the early education? how can they comprehend understanding on other subjects?
Long live moronism!
Smells like Hitler’s Arian race dogma.
Its the Filipino/Tagalog subject that must be deleted or reduced to a minimum (except in Tagalog areas). The use of mother tongue as the foundation of learning in early years is a proven method and endorsed by UNESCO for students who are non-native English speakers. Yes, Science should be introduced early using a combination of mother tongue and english. Please see. http://www.mlephil.wordpress.com
Yes, this is exactly what I mean. When my family was in the Philippines, my younger brother and sister (and me a bit) struggled with the Filipino subject when we excelled in other areas such as English, Science and Social Studies (in English) heck even in Chinese (mandarin). Tagalog is of no use to Cebuanos, both casually and for job opportunities. At home we speak Cebuano and English. In school it was the same. Tagalog just doesn’t apply to our lives other than when anyone goes to the Luzon tagalog-speaking areas, and that shouldn’t be when here in our own provinces, we can be self-sufficient and that we shouldn’t have to rely so much of the approval of Manilenos, who of course, are ignorant about this country when the majority of us, are actually VISAYAN speakers.
It isn’t fair that cebuanos had to learn english, ‘tagaleg’ at school, and then our mother tongue cebuano is only spoken outside school, when the tagaleg-speaking people don’t even have to learn other dialects with the english. Then we have trash media centred around tagaleg dialect, who has the nerve to force it down our heads, and create us in a way that we should also act and speak the way they do- brilliant social engineering/ brainwashing to obey the nationalists.
Not only does this help diminish our mother dialect, it also forces us like some sharp thing rammed into our asses, the idea that it’s even irrelevant to speak English as an alternative medium to people who don’t speak our dialect(when here in Australian universities, thousands of Chinese students come here just to be able to learn a good grasp of English). The ironic thing is, the tagalog speakers are actually the minority here. How would tagalogs feel when they’re forced to learn and speak Bisaya just because the majority speak it? Do you know how hard and useless that is? We can understand and speak reasonably in English, so why make it hamper for the rest of us to be able to speak tagalog?
All there is to be known is that it is much fairer and less complicated that since we know english, commonly, we could just speak in english when we communicate to people of different dialect. If anyone discredits this, then take a look at Malaysia and Singapore. It can work much better that way. And stop it with the tagalog-centrism in our local media. And lastly, Please also make room for programs in which other dialects are spoken as well as english.