MANILA, Philippines — While the Department of Education (DepEd) is implementing reforms in the country’s basic education system, Senator Sherwin Gatchalian is recommending that the Philippines sit out the next Programme for International Student Assessment (Pisa).
Gatchalian, Chair of the Senate basic education committee, conducted a hearing into the state of the country’s basic education system following the results of the recent Pisa, where Filipino students fared worst among 79 countries in reading comprehension and second-lowest in both mathematical and scientific literacy.
“Dahil nagumpisa pa lang yung mga repormang dapat natin gawin, umpisa doon yung curriculum reform at pangalawa yung teachers’ training, (it) will take time. Yung first implementation nung enhanced curriculum this coming June pa lang. So, hindi sapat yung oras dahil ang next Pisa is March of next year. It will take time para matuto yung bata at ma-absorb niya yung bagong curriculum,” Gacthalian told reporters after the hearing.
(Because these reforms just started, starting from the curriculum reform and second is teachers’ training, (it) will take time. The first implementation of the enhanced curriculum will only be instituted just this coming June. So, we don’t have enough time because the next Pisa is in March of next year. It will take time for the students to learn and absorb the new curriculum).
“Kaya ang recommendation ko, wag munang kumuha ng Pisa next year para magbigay tayo ng oras, mas mahabang oras, maayos yung curriculum at ma-implement ng tama yung mga reporma,” he added.
(That’s why my recommendation is that we don’t take the Pisa next year so that we will have enough time to fix the curriculum and to implement the right reforms).
Concerns were raised during the hearing over what appears to be is a “congested” curriculum in the country’s basic education system.
“Nakita natin yung curriculum natin napaka-congested, napakasikip. Ang tinuturo sa bata on the average is 300 competencies. Pero there are only 200 school days, ibig sabihin, isang competency per day, sobra sobra pa. Para sa bata, mahirap yon. Pano niya i-paprocess yon?” he said.
(We saw that our curriculum was very congested, its overcrowded. Children are taught an average of 300 competencies. But there are only 200 school days, this means that children are taught one competency per day, maybe even more. For the student, that’s difficult, how can they process that?)
“(Ang) repormang ginagawa ng DepEd ngayon—at sangayon tayo—i-decongest yung curriculum at ayusin pa yung curriculum natin para mas maganda yung pagtuturo sa bata at yung bata mas maganda yung kanyang pagaaral,” he added.
(Another reform that the DepEd is doing—which we agree on—is to decongest and fix the curriculum so that our teaching will be much better and the learning experience of the students is improved).
Asked if DepEd agrees with the idea of sitting out the next Pisa, the senator said the department is contemplating if the Philippines would participate or not.
“Pinaguusapan nila yan,” the senator said.
(They’re talking about it).
“In fact, ang DepEd management ay nagkakaroon ngayon ng paguusap tungkol sa kung kukuha pa tayo Pisa o hindi,” he added.
(In fact, the DepEd management is discussing whether or not we should participate in the Pisa).
Another concern raised during the hearing was that teachers are given tasks that are already beyond the requirements of teaching, which gives them limited time to actually talk with their students and their parents.
“Sinasabi ni Ms. (Editha) Herrera (Master Teacher 2 at the Malinta Elementary School) na ang isang guro ay hindi lang nagtuturo, maraming assignments na ibinibigay. Kanina ang example ay deworming, this is outside of teaching. Kaya yung kanilang oras, imbes na ibigay sa pagtutok sa bata at makipagusap sa parents, napupunta to sa other activities,” he said.
(Ms. Herrera said a teacher, not only teaches the kids, but they are tasked with other assignments as well. An example given earlier was deworming, this is outside of teaching. That’s why their time, instead of focusing on the students and coordinating with parents, are spent in other activities).
“So ito ay inaayos ngayon ng DepEd para magbigay ng mas maraming guro ang makipagusap sa bata tignan kung ano yung problema ng bata at makipagusap sa parents para matulungan ng parents yung mga teachers natin sa mga problema ng bata,” he added.
(DepEd is fixing all of these to give teachers more time to talk with their students to determine problems and to look where they can improve as well as to coordinate with the parents).
Gatchalian said the effectiveness of these reforms will be evaluated.
“Ite-testing natin yung reporma at ia-asses natin kung effective yung reporma total meron tayong National Achievement Test every year. Kung itong mga reporma na ito ay effective, nararamdaman natin sa ating mga eskwelahan, makikita natin tataas din yung ating National Achievement Test,” he said.
(We will test the reform and assess its effectiveness since we have the National Achievement Test every year. If these reforms are effective and we can see in the schools that the result of the National Achievement Test is high).
“Yung Pisa at National Achievement Test hindi nagkakaiba yan e. Almost pareho yung kanilang lebel, kaya mate-testing natin kung effective yung reporma kug yung National Achievenment Test natin ng Grade 6 and Grade 10, maaakyat na rin,” he added.
(The Pisa and the National Achievement Test are not that different from one another. Their level of testing is almost the same, that’s why we can gauge if the reform is effective is the result of the National Achievement Test for our Grade 6 and Grade 10 pupils is high).