Legal basis and curricular policy foundation
- The Philippine Commission on Educational Reforms (PCER), created on Dec. 7, 1998 through Executive Order No. 46, recommended adoption of the restructured BEC and its implementation starting 2002.
- The 2002 Basic Education Curriculum is presented as the product of 16 years of study conducted under various DepEd secretaries, and consultations beginning 1995 and intensifying again starting March 2001.
- The curriculum is framed as focused on core learning areas and patriotic values, with outcomes tied to reading comprehension and lifelong learning.
Purpose and education priorities
- The 2002 Basic Education Curriculum focuses on basics of reading, writing, arithmetic, science and patriotism.
- Values are integrated into all subject areas under the curriculum.
- The curriculum is designed to prepare students for lifelong learning.
- The curriculum is intended to address learners’ inability to read with comprehension at grade 3 and worse at grade 6.
- The curriculum is designed to decongest the overcrowded curriculum.
Teaching-learning approach requirements
- Integrative and interactive teaching-learning approaches are emphasized.
- Teaching-learning under the curriculum includes group learning and sharing of knowledge and experiences.
- Sharing occurs between teachers, between teachers and students, and among students.
- The curriculum requires coordinated lesson planning across related subject areas (e.g., English and Values Education teachers work together on their lesson plans).
Curriculum structure and sequencing rules
- High school Mathematics shifts from a spiral system to a linear, sequential approach.
- Under the sequential approach, Elementary Algebra is taught in 1st year.
- Under the sequential approach, Intermediate Algebra is taught in 2nd year.
- Under the sequential approach, Geometry is taught in 3rd year.
Implementation training and readiness
- DepEd implements the 2002 Basic Education Curriculum at school opening for 2002.
- Training for teachers progressed from 1,418 participants when training started in March 2002 to some 491,000 public and private school teachers trained as of 20 May.
- 1,500 teacher-trainers were trained on HS Math and conducted school-based trainings of Math teachers.
- Textbooks for the revised curriculum worth some P1.4 billion are delivered or in the process of being distributed nationwide.
- Textbook allocation is described as originally budgeting only for Grades 1 to IV and for 1st and 2nd year high school, with DepEd committing to provide additional textbooks for Grades I to VI and for 1st and 3rd year high school through savings from transparent procurement of school supplies and equipment.
- Many lesson plans to be used by teachers are prepared and produced, with additional trainings and preparation of lesson plans occurring from 3 to 15 June.
- Each H.S. Math teacher receives lesson plans.
Reporting, monitoring, and curriculum evaluation
- The curriculum implementation includes a system of submission and reporting from regions: regional directors submit names of trained teachers, teacher feedback after each training session, training designs used, training kits given to teachers, and weekly monitoring reports on the number of teachers trained.
- The NETRC, the BEE, and the BSE, with the assistance of NEAP, conduct a quarterly evaluation of the revised curriculum.
- School principals and supervisors continuously monitor implementation in their respective schools and divisions.
- During the school year 2002-2003, implementation of the BEC is monitored, improved, and fine-tuned.
Adoption for private schools and personnel protections
- Adoption of the BEC is optional for private schools.
- More than 50% of private schools have joined the adoption.
- No teacher will lose his/her job due to the BEC adoption and implementation.
- DepEd hires 15,000 more teachers as part of implementation assurances.
Curriculum development continuity and support
- Curriculum development is treated as a dynamic process, and the restructured curriculum continues to develop through continued implementation.
- Selected prototype lesson plans are distributed through school year 2002-2003 to support refinement and rollout.
- The entire DepEd is directed to help implement the BEC, with expressed support from public school teachers, principals, superintendents, and regional directors.
Named agencies and entities involved
- NETRC, BEE, and BSE conduct quarterly evaluation of the revised curriculum.
- NEAP assists the NETRC, BEE, and BSE in the quarterly curriculum evaluation.
- School principals, supervisors, regional directors, and superintendents are tasked with ongoing support, monitoring, and implementation reporting within their coverage areas.
- Teachers receive training, training kits, lesson plans, and participate in feedback after training sessions.