Gatchalian seeks continued learning recovery, teacher support as public schools open

As public schools open for Academic Year (AY) 2023-2024, Senator Win Gatchalian urged the Department of Education (DepEd) to maintain focus on learning recovery and preparations for the 2024 rollout of the K to 10 MATATAG curriculum.

The Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Basic Education also hailed the efforts of DepEd and teachers for restoring normalcy to the basic education sector.

Gatchalian, however, pressed the need to address learning poverty and to strengthen fundamental skills such as literacy and numeracy. Learning poverty in the country is at 90.9% based on World Bank estimates as of June 2022. While the DepEd has rolled out programs like the National Learning Camp, Gatchalian said that the rollout of these interventions should capture struggling learners who need the most intervention.

The Academic Recovery and Accessible Learning (ARAL) Program Act (Senate Bill No.1604), which Gatchalian filed, seeks to establish a national learning recovery program to accelerate learning recovery and mitigate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, including learning loss. The program's target includes learners who are below the minimum proficiency levels required in Language, Mathematics, and Science.

The senator also emphasized the importance of preparing for the rollout of the revised K to 10 MATATAG curriculum, which will start rolling out by AY 2024-2025 for Grades 1, 4, and 7, followed by other grade levels in the next school years until 2028.

This school year, however, a pilot implementation of the revised curriculum will run in selected schools. According to Gatchalian, this pilot run should be formally studied to further refine the curriculum and its implementation. The senator also stressed the importance of aligning teacher education and training to the MATATAG curriculum.

"Nakasalalay sa ating mga guro ang tagumpay at epektibong pagpapatupad ng MATATAG curriculum. Dapat nating tiyakin ang kanilang kahandaan sa pamamagitan ng mga dekalidad na pagsasanay," Gatchalian concluded.

Learning recovery at suporta sa guro pinatututukan ni Gatchalian sa pagbubukas ng klase

Sa gitna ng pagbubukas ng klase sa mga pampublikong paaralan ngayong Academic Year (AY) 2023-2024, hinimok ni Senador Win Gatchalian ang Department of Education (DepEd) na tutukan ang patuloy na learning recovery at paghahanda sa pagpapatupad ng K to 10 MATATAG curriculum sa 2024.

Pinasalamatan naman ng Chairperson ng Senate Committee on Basic Education ang DepEd at mga guro para sa pagbabalik-normal ng sektor ng edukasyon.

Ngunit para kay Gatchalian, kailangan pa ring tutukan ang learning poverty at patatagin ang mga fundamental skills tulad ng literacy at numeracy. Tinataya ng World Bank na umabot na sa 90.9% noong Hunyo 2022 ang learning poverty sa bansa. Bagama't nagpatupad na ang DepEd ng mga programa tulad ng National Learning Camp, iginiit ni Gatchalian na kailangang bigyang prayoridad ang mga nahihirapang mga estudyante sa pag-aaral.

Sa ilalim ng Academic Recovery and Accessible Learning (ARAL) Program Act (Senate Bill No.1604), ipinapanukala ni Gatchalian ang pagbuo at pagpapatupad ng national learning recovery program upang matugunan ang pinsalang dulot ng pandemya ng COVID-19, kabilang ang learning loss. Kasama sa mga target ng programa ang mga learners na hindi naabot ang minimum proficiency levels sa Language, Mathematics, at Science.

Binigyang diin din ng senador ang kahalagahan ng paghahanda para sa rollout ng revised K to 10 MATATAG curriculum. Inaasahang magsisimula ang rollout nito sa AY 2024-2025 para sa Grade 1, Grade 4, at 7 kasunod ng ibang grade level sa mga susunod na school year hanggang 2028.

Para sa school year na ito, magsasagawa ng pilot implementation ng MATATAG K to 10 curriculum sa mga piling paaralan. Para kay Gatchalian, dapat pormal na pag-aralan ang pilot implementation upang lalo pang maayos ang curriculum. Binigyang diin din ni Gatchalian na dapat gawing angkop ang pagsasanay at edukasyon ng mga guro sa MATATAG curriculum.

"Nakasalalay sa ating mga guro ang tagumpay at epektibong pagpapatupad ng MATATAG curriculum. Dapat nating tiyakin ang kanilang kahandaan sa pamamagitan ng mga dekalidad na pagsasanay," ani Gatchalian.