Of inclusivity and global citizenship
Kristel S. Castor
According to the Department of Education, the last three years have been very vital in establishing the structural mechanisms and support relative to the global citizenship education at various governance levels.
In fact, the Department is eyeing to advance more topics on citizenship in the intended curriculum for basic education.
The DepEd, for years, has been updating and recalibrating its curriculum through the Bureau of Curriculum Development (BCD) to be up to par with international curriculums, including the integration of GCED.
UNESCO describes global citizenship education as one that aims to equip learners of all ages with those values, knowledge, and skills that are based on and instill respect for human rights, social justice, diversity, gender equality, and environmental sustainability and that empowers learners to be responsible global citizens.
Officials said that though much is needed to be done, the agency, through the BCD, is committed to advancing the courses of GCED in the intended curriculum. They are welcoming the challenge to push all the boundaries in optimizing the premises and possibilities of GCED.
DepEd, through the International Cooperation Office (ICO), has been in touch with different organizations from different parts of the world to take note of their best practices, their initiatives, and projects that will help in the integration of gender sensitivity and responsiveness, cultural appreciation, and inclusivity to the DepEd curriculum.
According to officials, there is a need to evolve the curriculum to focus on cultivating values and integrating concepts of global citizenship to help learners develop into responsive and empowered individuals capable of building and rebuilding peaceful communities in their respective places.
In shaping the curriculum, the DepEd does not only integrate concepts of Disaster Risk Reduction Management, gender, and cultural sensitivity, but also inclusivity and global citizenship. These are all important in sensitizing the curriculum to ensure that learners develop holistically and embody being lifelong learners.
The author
is Teacher
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inclusivity and global
II at Basa Air Base Elementary School