Education is incredibly important in our lives, especially in the Philippines. It is not just about having enough education, but having a course and a diploma that one can carry for life. Apart from its importance, it is also crucial to provide a better quality of teaching to students so that they will be more encouraged and motivated to learn.
The Philippines is one of the countries with the lowest academic performance in Asia, which presents a huge challenge for everyone, especially the Department of Education (DepEd). Many steps have been taken to improve the quality of education in the country, including the implementation of a stable curriculum, where subjects and lessons for students have been reduced to lessen the burden on them during their studies.
In recent years, many parents and students have expressed that the workload is too heavy, making it difficult for students to stay motivated to learn, whether in elementary, high school, senior high school, or college. The stable curriculum focuses on the K-12 system of DepEd, which caters to students from kindergarten to grade 12, prioritizing the reduction of unnecessary lessons that are not essential to everyday life. However, some lessons were retained because they are still important for students to learn as individuals and as members of society.
As a response to the declining quality of education in the Philippines, DepEd has focused on more colorful and productive ways of teaching, where teachers across the country are encouraged to engage students more creatively. Despite the removal of some decorations and educational materials in classrooms, there are still teachers who believe that having more visuals helps engage students, especially since students learn better when the classroom environment is more stimulating.
Some say that too many decorations can be distracting, leading students to lose focus on the lesson. This view has been supported by the former Department of Education Secretary, now Vice President Sara Duterte. Many believe that the most important subjects such as Mathematics, English, and Science should be the focus since these are considered essential based on national laws.
However, many disagree with this, including some teachers. Instead of reducing the decorations, they added more because they observed that students learn better when their environment is vibrant and visually stimulating. Experts suggest that decorations could indeed be distracting, but when used in a colorful and meaningful way, they can actually enhance the learning experience for students.
This issue is a significant challenge not just for teachers, students, experts, and education officials, but for all of us. The quality of education affects everyone, and we must reflect on the future of our education system. As we face this crisis, let us think carefully about what will happen in the coming years and truly value the areas where our education system can improve, as José Rizal once said, “The youth is the hope of the nation.”
