QuestionsQuestions (DEPED ORDER NO. 25, S. 2002)
It implements the 2002 Basic Education Curriculum (BEC) starting the 2002 school opening.
DepEd stated it was the product of 16 years of study under various DepEd Secretaries and that starting 1995, intensive consultations were held with stakeholders such as schools, parents, students, business/trade/industry, NGOs, and DepEd personnel.
The order states consultations included DepEd experts, public and private school teachers, the 16 regional directors, 145 superintendents, at least 20,000 principals, and representative teachers across subject areas and grade/year levels.
The Philippine Commission on Educational Reforms (PCER), created through Executive Order No. 46 dated December 7, 1998.
It focuses on the basics of reading, writing, arithmetic, science, and patriotism, with values integrated in all subject areas.
It seeks to cure students’ inability to read with comprehension at Grade 3 and worse, at Grade 6.
It decongests the overcrowded curriculum.
It stresses integrative and interactive approaches, characterized by group learning and sharing of knowledge and experiences among teachers, between teachers and students, and among students.
Under the old curriculum, English teachers prepared lesson plans for English and Values teachers prepared separate lesson plans; under the BEC, English and Values Education teachers work together on their lesson plans.
It shifts from a spiral system (introducing all Math subjects in every level) to a linear, sequential approach: Elementary Algebra in 1st year, Intermediate Algebra in 2nd year, and Geometry in 3rd year.
It states that from 1,418 participants when training started in March 2002, some 491,000 public and private school teachers had been trained as of 20 May.
It states 1,500 teacher-trainers were trained on HS Math, and they led school-based trainings of Math teachers.
It says textbook funds were allocated only for Grades 1 to IV and 1st and 2nd year high school, but DepEd would provide textbooks for Grades I to VI and for 1st and 3rd year high school due to substantial savings from transparent procurement.
It states many lesson plans were prepared and produced, with additional trainings and preparation from 3 to 15 June, and that each HS Math teacher will get lesson plans.
They were to submit names of trained teachers, teachers’ feedback after each training session, training designs used by the regions, training kit given to teachers, and weekly monitoring reports on the number of teachers trained.
The order states adoption is optional for private schools, though more than 50% had joined.
The order assures that no teacher will lose his/her job and adds that DepEd hired 15,000 more teachers.
It states that NETRC, BEE, and BSE—with assistance of NEAP—will conduct a quarterly evaluation of the revised curriculum.
It states school principals and supervisors will continuously monitor implementation in their schools and divisions; and through school year 2002–2003, BEC implementation will be monitored, improved, and fine-tuned.
It states curriculum development is dynamic; the restructured curriculum will continue to develop, and selected prototype lesson plans will be distributed through school year 2002–2003.