GMRC REVIVAL IS A MUST

The author is Master Teacher

MELANIE S. BERRAME

For the past few days, my Facebook newsfeed has been filled with posts by co-teachers who shared an article about the revival of the subject “Good Manners and Right Conduct”.

A part of the old curriculum of the basic education program, it was scrapped as a regular subject and integrated in Social Studies and other related subjects.

Now, a congressman had filed a bill for the revival of the GMRC, titled House Bill No. 6705, “An Act To Revive Good Manners And Right Conduct (GMRC) As A Separate Subject In The Basic Education Curriculum”.

This bill seeks to revive GMRC and to include it as one of the separate subjects in the revived K to 12 program in basic education.

The bill states that “it is the policy of the Stale to recognize the vital role of the youth in nation-building and to promote and protect their physical, moral, spiritual, intellectual, and social well-being It shall inculcate in the youth patriotism and nationalism, and encourage their involvement in public and civic affairs.”

It also states that the “DepEd is tasked to include as a separate subject in the curriculum of the present K to 12 program in basic education Good Manners and Right Conduct (GMRC) which shall inculcate among our students the basic tenets of the promotion and observance of respect for oneself others, and our elders, as well as the teaching of the values of patience, perseverance, industry, honesty and good faith in dealing with other human beings.”

There is indeed a necessity to revive the subject, as it has been observed that the youth of today has seemingly lost the important values, particularly respect for one’s self and ot her s.

This behavior can be owed to modernization, or the advent of technology. Confusion sets in as a variety of influences make the youth vulnerable to the effects of pop culture.

This is the right time to re-introduce GMRC into the curriculum to better guide our youth in this day and age of modernization.

— oOo—

II at Mabayuan Elementary School, Olongapo City