The Department of Education (DepEd) will continue to train instructional leaders to ensure the proper implementation of the MATATAG Curriculum.
In the coming weeks, the training to be led by the DepEd Central Office will be rolled out in regions, Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte said in a speech Friday during the National Summit of MATATAG Curriculum Pilot implementers at Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay City.
The phased implementation of the curriculum is set for School Year 2024-2025.
Meanwhile, the department said it is not opposed to a bill seeking to raise the minimum monthly salary for teachers to P50,000.
Speaking to TeleRadyo Serbisyo, DepEd deputy spokesperson Francis Bringas said the department had already engaged with the World Bank to study the percentage of salary increase for teachers considering several factors.
The World Bank is asking for more data to make their study more comprehensive, Bringas said, adding that while DepEd does not want to impose a deadline on the international agency, he is hoping the study will be done prior to the deliberation of Congress on the bill.
ACT Teachers Rep. France Castro earlier said raising the minimum pay of teachers to P50,000 would close the gap between teachers’ salaries and the cost of living.
“We need to implement the curriculum well… The MATATAG curriculum, when implemented well with very good teachers in the field, could greatly support our learning recovery efforts and help improve student learning outcomes,” Duterte said.
She also thanked the 35 schools that piloted the curriculum in seven regions.
“With your pioneering efforts, with your participation, we gain needed insights and get practical insights on the challenges of implementation and the probable solution to address that,” she said.
In terms of getting the feedback and experiences of teachers in pilot schools, Duterte mentioned that she may visit the “35 schools since there are 365 days in a year.”
To date, there are five schools in each of the seven regions implementing the said curriculum, with around 385 and 8,294 participating teachers and learners, respectively.
These include schools in Metro Manila, Cordillera Administrative Region, Caraga Region, Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley, Central Visayas, and Soccsksargen.
The MATATAG Curriculum, piloted in September last year, aims to decongest the curriculum and resolve misplaced learning competencies from Kinder to Grade 10.
MATATAG stands for “Make the curriculum relevant to produce job-ready, Active and responsible citizens; TAke steps to accelerate the delivery of basic education services and provision facilities; TAke good care of learners by promoting learner well-being, inclusiveness learning, and positive learning environment; and, Give support for teachers to teach better.” With Maricel Cruz
