Senate allots P1.5-B for teachers’ training under ‘Matatag’ program

FILE: Members of the Southern Police District stand guard outside Jose Rizal Elementary School in Park Avenue, Pasay City on Monday (Aug. 22, 2022). (Photo by Avito Dalan via Philippine News Agency/Facebook)

MANILA – The Senate Committee on Finance approved a PHP1.5-billion allocation to train teachers for the “Matatag” K to 10 curriculum.

Launched by the Department of Education on Aug. 10, the revised curriculum for Kindergarten to 10^th graders will take effect during Academic Year 2024-2025, designed to address the challenges of the current K to 12 curriculum, such as the congested content, misplaced prerequisite learning competencies and cognitive demand imbalance.

“Matatag” (sturdy) 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.”

In a news release on Saturday, Senator Sherwin Gatchalian said under the Finance panel’s committee report on the PHP5.768-trillion General Appropriations Bill for 2024 (House Bill No. 8980), PHP1.5 billion will be spent for the “Matatag” program, which will be rolled out in phases.

Gatchalian, chairperson of the Committee on Basic Education, earlier recommended PHP1.7 billion.

“One of our most important recommendations is for our teachers’ training for the Matatag curriculum, which will train more or less 200,000 teachers,” Gatchalian said.

Gatchalian described the Matatag K to 10 curriculum as one of the “low-hanging fruits” to help improve learners’ performance.

Results of large-scale international assessment, like the 2018 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), showed Filipino learners failing to master basic competencies.

Out of 79 countries that participated in the 2018 PISA, the Philippines ranked lowest in Reading and second to the last in Mathematics and Science, according to Gatchalian’s office.

Gatchalian also urged the Teacher Education Council to align teacher training and education with Matatag. (With a report from Leonel Abasola/PNA)