Curriculum is like molding dough which is twisted and shaped by the muscled arms and hands of bakers. The final products, the breads, should not only satisfy our taste buds but also should contain nutrition to equally produce physically healthy persons which also connotes mind-healthy individuals. Breads should not only be mouth-watering but also should sustain the minerals and vitamins needed by our body to continue the flow of our strive for survival. Breads should not only be partially delicious and the rest deserves to be regarded as trash. They should be wholly yummy, tasty and nourishing to produce holistic development among its consumers.
However, the present status of the Philippine curriculum is considered crammed. For the past decades of the implementation of 10 years basic education which includes four years in elementary and six years in high school, it was baked under the highest possible degree of temperature that the critiquing eyes of those who are well-educated emitted, yet the product is undercooked. It was given crucial attention and emphasis that it was revised and redesigned not only once, yet the proper amount of ingredients hasn’t mixed right. It has been a long battle for the Department of Education (DepEd) the problem in the Philippine Education, yet the winners with the delicious idea and suggestion of how can we uplift the education system in our country haven’t been recognized and hailed, but not until now. Maybe.
As the new administration takes over the 10 years spoiled government under the headship of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, President Benigno Simeon”Noynoy” C. Aquino (PNOY) laid on the table a new and alien program which is called K+12 that originates from the Western countries. Is it nutritious? Or just delicious? Can it make the heaven open wide and the angels come at our sight when we taste it? Or would it be just plain tasteless dough straight to the bin.
Behind technological revolution is the ballooning problem of our population. This population problem resulted to many unsolved dilemma such as the increasing number of Filipinos who are unemployed. An online news report of Asia News revealed that at the end of January 2009, 4.3 million Filipinos in our country are unemployed. The new administration together with its DepEd Secretary Arvin Luistro believed that this problem can be resolved if the Philippine education will also go with the flow of innovation and revolution in this modernized world. For this reason, the government proposed this new educational program, K+12, which they said can help reduce the digits of jobless people because the new curriculum will add two more years in secondary education which is called senior high school, wherein students will be allowed to take specialization in mathematics, science, music, arts and other fields.
Science and mathematics subjects are crucial in this technology-based world because it is needed in the alleviation of human suffering and giving the comfort of modern living such as the production of medicines and other human needs. However, in these fields, international studies such as the latest Trend in Mathematics and Science Studies (TIMSS) 2003 which is an international assessment of the mathematics and science knowledge of fourth- and eighth-grade students (second year high school students in our country) around the world that allows participating nations to compare students' educational achievement across borders, showed that Philippines is lag behind the other countries, and the only way to resolve this dilemma is through redesigning our present curriculum.
For the grade IV level in mathematics area, the Philippines ranked 23rd among the 25 participating countries. In the grade VIII, the country positioned fourth to the last among the 45 participants. In science area, for the grade IV level, the country ranked third to the last among 25 participants. In the grade VIII level, Philippines placed 42nd among 45 participants.
Actually, PNOY’s proposed innovation in the present educational system in our country smells fragrant but Philippines is not yet ready for this change since we haven’t resolve the perennial problems in the lack of school facilities, laboratories, teachers, chairs, textbooks and classrooms, as what the Teachers Dignity Coalition opposed.
However, in the baking of breads with high quality of texture, taste and overall aspect, the most important values to be executed and internalized is patience. We can’t force dough to be baked and turned to delicious bread for few minutes only or they will be undercooked or overcooked. For the dough to be completely cooked with nourishing content and appetizing flavor, we should learn how to wait and we will see that our dreams will suddenly and gradually grow just like dough. For the breads to have properly mixed ingredients, we should give our trust to the mighty hands of our premium curriculum bakers.
SOURCES:
Santosh Digal.At least 4.3 million Filipinos unemployed.http://www.asianews.it/news-en/At-least-4.3-million-Filipinos-unemployed-14779.html(March 30, 2009)
Juon.TIMSS 2003 Update: When Juan dela Cruz Went into Battle with a Tattered Textbook.http://juon.blogspot.com/2006/05/timss-2003-update-when-juan-dela-cruz.html(May 17, 2006)
Jason Faustino.Add’l 2 years to current 10-year basic education cycle opposed.http://www.tucp.org.ph/news/index.php/2010/09/add%E2%80%99l-2-years-to-current-10-year-basic-education-cycle-opposed/(September 30, 2010)
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