Can basic laws be taught in basic and secondary education? - ALBURO ALBURO AND ASSOCIATES LAW OFFICES

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Also, the matters contained in the following were written in accordance with the law, rules, and jurisprudence prevailing at the time of writing and posting, and do not include any future developments on the subject matter under discussion.

AT A GLANCE:

The curriculum for the enhanced basic education which includes basic and secondary education, shall be:

learner-centered, inclusive and developmentally appropriate;
relevant, responsive and research-based;
culture-sensitive; and
contextualized and global, among others.

(Section 5, R.A. No. 10533 or the Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013)

Republic Act No. 10533 or the Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013 provides that the State shall establish, maintain, and support a complete, adequate, and integrated system of education relevant to the needs of the people, the country and the society at large. (Section 2, R.A. No. 10533)

The policy of the Enhance Basic Education Act of 2013 is that every graduate of basic education shall become an empowered individual who has learned, through a program that is rooted on sound educational principles and geared towards excellence, the foundations for learning throughout life, the competence to engage in work and be productive, the ability to coexist in fruitful harmony with local and global communities, the capability to engage in autonomous, creative, and critical thinking, and the capacity and willingness to transform others and one’s self.

For this purpose, the State shall create a functional basic education system that will develop productive and responsible citizens equipped with the essential competencies, skills and values for both life-long learning and employment. (Section 2, Ibid.)

What is the enhanced basic education program?

The enhanced basic education program encompasses at least one (1) year of kindergarten education, six (6) years of elementary education, and six (6) years of secondary education, in that sequence. Secondary education includes four (4) years of junior high school and two (2) years of senior high school education. (Section 4, R.A. No. 10533)

Basic education is intended to meet basic learning needs which provides the foundation on which subsequent learning can be based. It encompasses kindergarten, elementary and secondary education as well as alternative learning systems for out-of-school learners and those with special needs.

The law says:

The [Department of Education] (DepED) shall formulate the design and details of the enhanced basic education curriculum. It shall work with the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) to craft harmonized basic and tertiary curricula for the global competitiveness of Filipino graduates. To ensure college readiness and to avoid remedial and duplication of basic education subjects, the DepED shall coordinate with the CHED and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).

To achieve an effective enhanced basic education curriculum, the DepED shall undertake consultations with other national government agencies and other stakeholders including, but not limited to, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC), the private and public schools associations, the national student organizations, the national teacher organizations, the parents-teachers associations and the chambers of commerce on matters affecting the concerned stakeholders.

While there is no law prohibiting the inclusion of the basic laws in the elementary and secondary education in its curriculum, doing so will be a big step which entails a lot of research taking into consideration the principles involved in developing basic education curriculum.

Among the principles necessary in developing the enhanced basic education curriculum is that the curriculum shall be learner-centered, inclusive developmentally appropriate.

Section 5 of R.A. No. 10533 provides that:

(a) The curriculum shall be learner-centered, inclusive and developmentally appropriate;

(b) The curriculum shall be relevant, responsive and research-based;

(d) The curriculum shall be contextualized and global;

(e) The curriculum shall use pedagogical approaches that are constructivist, inquiry-based, reflective, collaborative and integrative;

(f) The curriculum shall adhere to the principles and framework of Mother Tongue-Based Multilingual Education (MTB-MLE) which starts from where the learners are and from what they already knew proceeding from the known to the unknown; instructional materials and capable teachers to implement the MTB-MLE curriculum shall be available;

(g) The curriculum shall use the spiral progression approach to ensure mastery of knowledge and skills after each level; and

(h) The curriculum shall be flexible enough to enable and allow schools to localize, indigenize and enhance the same based on their respective educational and social contexts. The production and development of locally produced teaching materials shall be encouraged and approval of these materials shall devolve to the regional and division education units.

Moreover, curriculum of enhanced basic education is mandated to be inclusive which means that the implementation of programs designed to address the physical, intellectual, psychosocial, and cultural needs of learners. (Section 8, Implementing Rules and Regulations of Republic Act No. 10533).

Alburo Alburo and Associates Law Offices specializes in business law and labor law consulting. For inquiries regarding taxation and taxpayer’s remedies, you may reach us at info@alburolaw.com, or dial us at (02)7745-4391/0917-5772207.

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