Curriculum review

Is Teacher III at Villa Salud Elementary School, Solana West District, Cagayan Jim Francis Y. Cayanan

Officials of the Education department said the ongoing K to 12 curriculum review is a mechanism using quality control, with the end in view of examining the curriculum in intended, implemented, assessed and achieved phases. It is part of DepEd’s commitment to “ensure quality, relevant and liberating basic education for all through continuous curriculum refinement”, aside from fulfilling one of the provisions of RA 10533 of the Enhanced Basic Education Act to review the curriculum. The review, officials also said, explored the extent to “which the national tests assess the intended curriculum” with a focus on students in Grades 3, 6, 10 and Senior High School (SHS). The review is also focused on the alignment of national test items with the content of the intended curriculum. Meanwhile, the context of the current curriculum review concerns on student achievement on national tests which are “below expectations”. While overcrowding of the curriculum is a concern, student achievement can be improved through greater curriculum alignment. Among the recommendations for the intended curriculum include reducing the number of learning competencies; ensuring that the learning competencies are necessary for building competence in fundamental knowledge and skills; and revising the sequencing. Other recommendations are to make the “circulation of learning competencies and addressing a “cognitive demand expectations.” There is also the importance of adopting a “consistent century skills for use across DepEd.”