Secondary education
DepEd expects over 5.6 million students in public secondary schools
Secondary education in the Philippines is largely based on the
American schooling system as it was until the advent of
the comprehensive high schools in the US in the middle of last
century. The Philippines high school system (Filipino: Mataas na
Paaralan) has not moved much from where it was when the
Philippines achieved independence from the US in 1946. It still
consists of only four levels with each level partially
compartmentalized, focusing on a particular theme or content.
DepEd specifies a compulsory curriculum for all high schooling,
public and private. The first year of high school has five core subjects,
Algebra I, Integrated Science, English I, Filipino I, and Philippine
History I. Second year has Algebra II, Biology, English II, Filipino II,
and Asian History. Third year has Geometry, Chemistry, Filipino III,
and World History and Geography. Fourth year has Calculus,
Trigonometry, Physics, Filipino IV, Literature, and Economics. Minor
subjects may include Health, Music, Arts, Technology and Home
Economics, and Physical Education.
In selective schools, various languages may be offered as electives,
as well as other subjects such as computer programming and literary
writing. Chinese schools have language and cultural electives.
Preparatory schools usually add some business and accountancy
courses, while science high schools have biology, chemistry, and
physics at every level.
Secondary students used to sit for the National Secondary
Achievement Test (NSAT), which was based on the American SAT,
and was administered by DepEd. Like its primary school counterpart,
NSAT was phased-out after major reorganizations in the education
department. Now there is no government-sponsored entrance
examination for tertiary education. Higher education institutions, both
public and private, administer their own College Entrance
Examinations (CEE). Vocational colleges usually do not have
entrance examinations, simply accepting the Form 138 record of
studies from high school, and enrolment payment.
for school year 2009-2010.[23]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Education_in_the_Philippines
DEPT OF EDUCATION CURRICULUM: BOOM OR BANE?
Manila, June 7, 2002 (STAR) By Sheila Crisostomo -
Millions of students are scheduled to return to public schools
next week to a revised curriculum aimed at improving the
standard of education in the country. But the government is
having such a tough time selling the idea to educators and
congressmen that the plan may be delayed.
The strong resistance from prominent educators has
triggered a congressional inquiry into the Revised Basic
Education Curriculum (RBEC), whose pilot testing is
scheduled for the opening of public schools on Monday. One
of the opponents of the RBEC, Sen. Blas Ople, is expected to
file a motion seeking to delay the curriculum by a year.
As Education Secretary Raul Roco argued, at stake is the
standard of Philippine education, which is vital to the
country’s future.
"We are told repeatedly that education in the country has
deteriorated," Roco said.
To fix the problem, the department has come up with the
RBEC.
"It is the product of 16 years’ study and seven years of
intensive consul-tations,"Roco said.
The government has not revised the curriculum for public
elementary schools in 13 years. Meanwhile, the curriculum
for public high schools has not been changed for almost two
decades, in sharp contrast to the general practice worldwide,
which calls for a revision every 10 years.
That is why the RBEC, which is responsive to the ever-
changing world, is badly needed, senior education
department officials argued.
"To actualize a gracious life in our changing world, Filipino
learners need an education system that empowers them for
a lifelong learning, or (the system) that enables them to be
(more) competent in learning how to learn even when they
are left to themselves," said Dr. Fe Hidalgo, education
undersecretary for programs.
"We want them not only to learn how to read but to
understand what they read," she added. "Our (old)
curriculum has so many offerings but we have the shortest
period of basic education — six years for the elementary
(level) and four years for high school for a total of 10 years.
Other countries have 12 years."
The RBEC has been drawn from various studies, particularly
that of the Committee on Information Technology, Science
and Mathematics, Education and Technologies. This
committee is under the Presidential Commission on
Education Reforms.
The committee’s finding showed that elementary curriculum
in the Philippines, particularly for Grades 1-3, is
overcrowded. Having too many subjects to study, the
committee said, "limits the extent to which teachers and
students can focus on the basic skills critically important for
good performance and success in later grade levels."
Hidalgo said an overcrowded curriculum either hinders or
delays the development of the lifelong learning skills, given
that the coverage of the subject matters tends to take
priority over in-depth learning.
Meanwhile, the committee’s report also suggested that the
government review the secondary curriculum, citing the fact
that the mean percentage of the National Secondary
Achievement Test (NSAT) scores among high school
students is only 50 percent.
Moreover, the Philippines was ranked close to last in the
result of the International Mathematics and Science Study in
1999. Among the 38 nations participating in the test, the
Philippines was ranked 36th. That reflected the poor
standard of Philippine education, officials said.
One of the areas of changes the RBEC calls for is reducing
the core courses to five from eight. The courses are Filipino,
English, science and mathematics — the so-called "tool
subjects" — and Makabayan.
Called "the laboratory of life," Makabayan will be the
practice environment for the tool subjects. It is designed to
help the students develop better interpersonal skills,
empathy will cultures, vocational efficiency and problem-
solving and decision-making skills.
The components of the elementary Makabayan include
Araling Panlipunan (Social Studies), Edukasyong Pantahanan
(Home Economics), Musika (Music), Sining (Art),
Edukasyong Pangkatawan (Health Education), and good
manners and right conduct.
For high schools, the Makabayan components are social
studies, Teknolohiya at Edukasyong Pantahanan at
Pangkabuhayan (Education Technology at Home and Work),
Musika, Sining at Edukasyong Pangkatawan at
Pangkalusugan and Edukasyong Pagpapahalaga (Values).
Other elements of RBEC are patriotism, experiential learning
and self-sufficiency.
"Our vision is to equip the students with life skills so that
they become self-developed persons," said Hidalgo. "These
elements can also be found in the existing curriculum but we
just wanted to strengthen them through RBEC."
Some loopholes
The components of the RBEC have drawn harsh criticisms
from various educators, who said the education department
is undermining the disciplines integrated in the subject.
One of the critics of the revised curriculum is Nilo Rosas,
former undersecretary for regional operations of the
department. Rosas, who is now the president of the
Philippine Normal University (PNU), said the RBEC has some
loopholes.
"The methods of content delivery, application of new
technologies and integration mechanism (that teachers must
use) are not clearly defined," he said. So, although he
supports the pilot testing of the RBEC, Rosas said it should
be open to revision if necessary.
"A well-defined in-service training on these new strategies
and technologies must be done at every level," he said.
"Principles of integration and interactivity must be fully
understood and translated into actual classroom strategies."
Rosas also warned that "merely retelling" the teachers how
to use certain teaching strategy is not enough.
Associate Professor Felice Yeban, who teaches social studies
at the PNU, shares Rosas’ view. Although Yeban agreed that
there is a need to reform the national curriculum, she is
unsure if the RBEC is the panacea for the problems of
Philippine education.
"My concern now is the preparations made by the DepEd, or
the lack of it, and how they came up with the formula," she
said. "Is RBEC the answer? It seems that DepEd is in a rush
to implement this."
Yeban also argued that the time allotment for the tool
subjects in the revised curriculum is extended at the
expense of the Makabayan subjects. Any increase on the
time allotment for a certain subject will result in the
reduction of the time allotment for other disciplines, she
added.
"No one can categorically say or would admit if there are
subjects that will be watered down under the restructured
curriculum," Yeban said. "It is not clear how Makabayan will
be taught. It’s not like chopsuey....There is no learning
syllabus for teachers. DepEd leaves the principals to
implement RBEC and many of them are now confused."
The Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) is now urging the
department to delay the implementation of RBEC. Carol
Almeda, the alliance’s president and a University of the
Philippines professor, also charged that international
organizations are the force behind RBEC.
"RBEC is not based on the need of the students — this is
merely an imposition of giant financial institutions like the
Asian Development Bank and the World Bank in exchange
for loans," she said.
But the department has won strong support from the
Federation of Associations of Private School Administrators,
which said the RBEC is the "right medicine" for the Philippine
educational standard. "It should be administered
immediately," said Eleazar Kasilag, FAPSA president.
While private schools are not required to follow the RBEC,
Eleazar said many of the FAPSA’s members are now
preparing to adopt the revised curriculum as their own.
As of May 27, the department has trained half a million
Philippine teachers and school officials for the revised
curriculum–more than 44,000 people more than the target
the department had previously set. This is because some
private teachers and substitute mentors have also
participated in the training, Secretary Roco said.
The department will review the curriculum after one year of
implementing it. But first it has to convince Congress and
educators that the RBEC is worth a try.
http://www.newsflash.org/2002/06/hl/hl015831.htm
DepEdRBEC - Does it ChangeAnything?
Posted in Curriculum, DepEd Program, RBEC
Year 2004 when this BEC curriculum  later RBEC was
presented to teachers. We were instructed to implement
RBEC with Makabayan subjects and other tool subjects. We
were provided with lesson guides and other materials for the
implementation.
that of the Committee on Information Technology, Science
and Mathematics, Education and Technologies. This
committee is under the Presidential Commission on
Education Reforms.
Called the laboratory of life, Makabayan will be the practice
environment for the tool subjects. It is designed to help the
students develop better interpersonal skills, empathy will
cultures, vocational efficiency and problem-solving and
decision-making skills.
Now after years of implementation. Do you see any changes
in quality and quantity of education in our children? You
judge teachers.
This entry was posted on Sunday, January 31, 2010 at 8:28
PM

http://depedteacher.blogspot.com/2008/12/deped-rbec-or-bec-
When Roco left DepED and other officials take the seat, the
curriculum-so-what-is.html
DepEd improves the curriculum. We were instructed to
follow teaching methods suited for the curriculum. Then in
my years of teaching career, I find that the curriculum do
not have big difference from the old one. The good thing
now is that either I follow or not the RBEC curriculum, I
have seen my students in the top of their present career.

What is the effect of RBEC in my teaching performance is I

do not know. I do not if I could correlate it with the
achievement of my students for I see no research and
evaluation done in the part of DepED after this curriculum
was implemented 5 years ago.

So what do you think is the effect of RBEC in your

student's performance?

The following are archive from - http://www.hartford-

hwp.com/archives/54a/220.html

RBECis the product of 16 years' study and seven years

of intensive consultations,Roco said many years ago. 

The government has not revised the curriculum for public

elementary
schools in 13 years. Meanwhile, the curriculum for public
high schools has not been changed for almost two decades,
in sharp contrast to the general practice worldwide, which
calls for a revision every 10 years.

That is why the RBEC, which is responsive to the ever-

changing world, is badly needed, senior education
department officials argued.

To actualize a gracious life in our changing world, Filipino

learners need an education system that empowers them for
a lifelong learning, or (the system) that enables them to be
(more) competent in learning how to learn even when they
are left to themselves, said Dr. Fe Hidalgo, education
undersecretary for programs.

The RBEC has been drawn from various studies, particularly