The Shaping Paper of the MATATAG Curriculum, and the Downloadable Curriculum Guides
The Enhanced Basic Education Program, also known as the K to 12 Basic Education Program, is in response to local and global community needs and demands, with the mission of boosting Filipino values, developing a strong sense of nationalism, developing productive citizens who contribute to the establishment of a growing, just, and humane society, ensuring environmental sustainability, and cultivating global development partnerships.
The implementation of the K to 12 Basic Education Curriculum is regarded as one of the most significant educational reforms in the country, introducing a number of programs and projects aimed at expanding and improving basic education delivery in the Philippines.
It also strives to bring the Philippines’ basic education system up to international standards by ensuring that it is suitable, responsive, and pertinent to learners as well as national and global realities (DepEd, 2019).
Furthermore, the development of extensive compelling research on the nature of students and the learning process highlights the need for basic education institutions to stay current with global future trends while addressing children’s changing needs and learning challenges (Jorgenson, 2006).
The Department of Education, in collaboration with the Assessment Curriculum and Technology Research Centre (ACTRC), has begun the process of reviewing the proposed curriculum in order to verify claims and fill gaps in the document.
The current administration’s education agenda is known as MATATAG: Bansang Makabata, Batang Makabansa, and it establishes a new direction for the agency and stakeholders in addressing basic education challenges.
The MATATAG Agenda is composed of four critical components:
- MAke the curriculum relevant to produce competent and job-ready, active,
and responsible citizens; - TAke steps to accelerate delivery of basic education facilities and services;
- TAke good care of learners by promoting learner well-being, inclusive
education, and a positive learning environment; and - Give support to teachers to teach better.
The MATATAG agenda, which aims to improve access, equity, resiliency, and well-being, can be realized with the help of various education stakeholders. This is why education partners have pledged their support for the new basic education agenda.
The DepEd’s vision, as well as the goals and features of its K to 12 Program, are realized through its curriculum, which is standards-based in nature. It identifies a predetermined set of learning outcomes that students are expected to master after a specified time period (UNESCO, n.d.). Learning standards are divided into two categories: content standards and performance standards. Performance standards “describe the abilities and skills that learners are expected to demonstrate in relation to the content standards” while content standards “identify and set the essential knowledge and understanding that should be learned” (DepEd, 2015).
View and download the DepEd MATATAG General Shaping Paper, and the different MATATAG Curriculum for every subject mentioned. Please follow this DepEd Repository link.