Gatchalian: Grade 1-3 should have fewer subjects; expand English, Filipino lessons

MANILA, Philippines — Students from Grades 1 to 3 should have fewer subjects and more time for English and Filipino lessons, Senator Sherwin Gatchalian said on Wednesday.

Gatchalian, who chairs the Senate committee on basic education, said that Grades 1 to 3 students currently have eight subjects in their curriculum.

He also said English and Filipino subjects are only taught for 50 minutes each.

“It’s very difficult for teachers to teach eight subjects in a day. It’s very difficult for students to absorb three languages and study eight subjects in a day,” Gatchalian said in an ABS-CBN News Channel interview.

He also pointed out circumstances some students may be experiencing — such as helping their parents with their livelihoods and having no electricity at night in their homes — that may make it difficult for students to focus on their studies.

“So there are bottlenecks to learning. So, I do agree to lessen the subjects for Grades 1 to 3 and then increase the number of hours for English and Filipino,” the senator said.

Gatchalian proposed that English and Filipino subjects should be taught for two hours from the previous 50 minutes.

He also said the mother tongue should be used as a medium of instruction for Grades 1 to 3.

“A student will have more time to learn English, more time to read in English, more time to learn Filipino, but the student will not lose his identity or his comprehension using the mother tongue,” the senator said.

Classes for 2022-2023 started on Monday, August 22.

The Department of Education earlier said it is planning to revert to English and Filipino as mediums of instruction for primary learners.

Under the K-12 law, the mother tongue should be used as the medium of instruction from kindergarten until Grade 3.

READ: DepEd exec: Use English, Filipino as kindergarten media of instruction

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