MATATAG Curriculum: Redefining Learning in the Philippines

For the past ten years, the Philippine education system has faced criticism due to the poor performance of Filipinos in global assessments. In 2018, the country was positioned last in the rankings given by the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) in terms of reading comprehension, math, and science. In 2022, the World Bank revealed that around 91 percent of Filipino 10-year-olds struggled with basic reading comprehension. Similar assessments like the Southeast Asia Primary Learning Metrics 2019 also ranked the Philippines near the bottom compared to neighbouring countries like Indonesia, Malaysia, and Vietnam. Even the top universities are not able to perform globally. These issues show that the educational system is suffering in the Philippines and it needs to be revamped with a new curriculum that should be effective in tackling these issues. Let's see how the new MATATAG curriculum tackles the problems faced by the education system.

Drawbacks of the Old Curriculum in Education System

One of the most common problems is the lack of facilities. There are more students in the classroom than it is required or we can say that the classrooms are small in size and the students are more. There is also a shortage of learning materials mainly textbooks. 

Apart from materials and facilities, other factors that affect the education system are that the teachers are given different tasks that are not related to teaching like gathering health data, on learners, and school demographics at the start of the academic session.

Teachers are frequently found not doing their duties in class or found busy gossiping or doing any other thing not related to education. An employee who is sincere in their work also gets affected by the behaviour of the employees not working properly.

Poverty is also a major factor responsible for the overall performance of Philippine education. Many students are not able to attend classes due to poor nutrition. The government is trying to reduce these problems through various schemes so that no students should have to leave their studies in between.  

Resolution through the MATATAG Curriculum

MATATAG is an update to the Philippine education system that aims to improve things. It begins with kindergarten through 10th grade, really focusing on reading, math, and life skills. It emphasizes core abilities students need, like reading well, doing numbers, and learning stuff for jobs and daily life. The new curriculum marks the first move toward fixing problems in Philippine schools.

Subject counts per class will decrease to reduce academic pressure. Students can then mainly focus on reading and math. DepEd says trimming subjects and competencies, especially in elementary grades, will also lighten teachers' workloads. It spans four years, starting in 2024 and ending in 2027.

Today's students face difficulties in comprehending what they read, lagging behind their peers in other nations. The revised education plan addresses this issue, focusing on strengthening crucial abilities to match international standards.

How School Leaders Can Champion the New DepEd Curriculum?

Leaders must shift paradigms and thoroughly understand the four pillars of MATATAG: Make Relevant, Accelerate Services, Take Care of Learners, and Give Support to Teachers. These four principles should be conveyed to every staff member by the leaders. If the leaders demonstrate a passion for learning, then the entire school community will improve from their efforts.

They can create a learning environment in society through interdisciplinary projects, community service initiatives, and character-building activities that seamlessly weave MATATAG principles into the existing curriculum. Professional development opportunities can be provided to teachers, and resources can be provided to help them adapt to the new curriculum. Knowledge sharing would be easier for teachers if they were well-equipped. Higher authorities and leaders should communicate with parents and local businesses to create a supportive ecosystem that fosters learning beyond the classroom walls.

MATATAG is an ongoing process. Leaders should be prepared to adapt and refine their implementation strategies based on feedback and evolving needs. A willingness to experiment and learn is key. Recognizing and celebrating achievements, big and small, along the way is crucial to maintaining momentum and motivating everyone involved. Highlighting success stories can inspire others and keep the focus on the positive outcomes of MATATAG.

A Philippine School Welcomes the MATATAG Curriculum

Academ-e provides digital learning solutions to students from kindergarten to class 6. We strive to keep abreast of the latest developments in the Philippine education landscape. While the MATATAG curriculum is a major change that would affect many stakeholders in education, Academ-e is more than ready to meet the challenge. One of the strengths of its approach is that it has designed its learning materials to be modular. Its agile development team can easily modify, add, or correct individual lesson topics in a matter of days, unlike textbooks that require months if not years to change.

Its materials are robust enough to handle variations in the curriculum, as the modularity of the lesson materials allows for the rearranging of topics, along with the addition or reduction of subject matter to suit the needs of the students. It also supports different modalities of learning, whether synchronous or asynchronous. Furthermore, it regularly refines its learning materials to remain relevant. It conducts continuous research on existing and emerging technologies and how they can be used to improve the learning process. New topics and competencies, well beyond those required by the DepEd, are constantly being added to our learning materials library.

Conclusion

The Philippines' adoption of the New Curriculum is appreciated by many schools and academies, as they perceive a new era of education. We have witnessed the drawbacks of the old curriculum and observed how the new one helps alleviate these issues. With the guidance of leaders, the curriculum can be disseminated to every child. If implemented correctly, the new curriculum can address the challenges faced by children, sharpen their minds, and prepare them to compete in the global education arena. This article offers basic insights into the MATATAG curriculum, but there is much more to explore on this topic.