Gullas bill to revive English as language in classrooms

Cebu 1st district Rep. Gerald Anthony Gullas Jr. wants to reintroduce English as the primary language of instruction in all school levels.

“We have high hopes that House Bill 1339, once enacted, will go a long way in boosting the English competency of our future labor force participants and build up the capability of our high school as well as college graduates to gain and maintain employment,” Gullas said.

Working language

“English is the world’s working language. It is also the language of technology. Young Filipinos with inadequate English skills may risk getting marginalized in the lucrative global labor markets of the future,” Gullas added.

In a press statement, Gullas said his bill departs from the current Department of Education (DepEd) policy provided by DepEd Order 3, series of 2012. Under this policy, the language of instruction in grades 1-3 is the mother tongue or regional native language like Bisaya, Hiligaynon, Bicolano and in grades 4 – 10, English and Filipino.

HB 1339 provides English, Filipino or the regional/ native languange as teaching language in all subjects from kindergarten to Grade 3. But the bill wants English to be the medium of instruction starting in grades 4 to 10 and in junior and senior high school.

Gullas expressed confidence that once English is fully revived in schools, students would find it easier to learn both Math and Science. “Co-relations show that English proficiency translates positively to higher Math and Science abilities. This is partly because most if not all of our Math and Science manuals are in English to begin with,” he said.

HB 1339 also proposed that English and Filipino shall be taught as separate subjects in all levels of elementary and high school;

The current language policy prescribed by the Commission on Higher Education shall be maintained in college; and

English shall be forcefully promoted as the language of interaction in schools. The bill also categorically requires the use of English as the language of assessment in all government examinations and in entrance tests in public schools as well as state universities and colleges.