What You Need to Know About the MATATAG Curriculum
If you are a parent, teacher, or student in the Philippines, you might have heard of the MATATAG Curriculum, a new and improved curriculum for Kindergarten to Grade 10 that will be implemented starting School Year 2024-2025. But what exactly is the MATATAG Curriculum and why is it important? Here are some key points to help you understand this educational reform.
What is the MATATAG Curriculum?
The MATATAG Curriculum is a revised basic education curriculum under the K-12 program that covers Kindergarten up to Grade 10. It aims to “produce competent, job-ready, active, responsible and patriotic citizens”. The word MATATAG is an acronym that 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.
The MATATAG Curriculum was launched by Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte on August 10, 2023, as a response to the challenges of the current K to 12 curriculum, such as the congested content, misplaced prerequisite learning competencies, and cognitive demand imbalance.
What are the features of the MATATAG Curriculum?
The MATATAG Curriculum has several features that make it different from the previous curriculum. Some of these are:
- It focuses on five foundational skills, which are language, reading and literacy, mathematics, makabansa, and good manners and right conduct. These skills are essential for learners to succeed in life and work in the 21st century.
- It decongests the curriculum by removing or relocating some learning competencies that are not appropriate for the grade level or subject area. For example, some competencies in science and social studies are moved to higher grades or integrated into other subjects.
- It balances the cognitive demand of the curriculum by ensuring that the learning competencies are aligned with the expected learning outcomes and the appropriate level of thinking skills. For example, some competencies that require higher-order thinking skills are introduced in later grades or given more time for mastery.
- It provides flexibility and diversity for learners by allowing them to choose from different learning tracks and strands in senior high school, as well as offering various learning modalities and resources that suit their needs and preferences.
How is the MATATAG Curriculum being implemented?
The MATATAG Curriculum is currently being piloted in 35 schools across seven regions, 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 pilot implementation started in September 2023 and will end in March 2024. The purpose of the pilot is to test the feasibility and effectiveness of the curriculum, as well as to gather feedback and insights from the stakeholders. The pilot schools are using the MATATAG Curriculum Guides for Kindergarten, Grades 1, 4, and 7, which can be accessed online.
The Department of Education (DepEd) is also conducting trainings for instructional leaders to ensure the proper implementation of the curriculum. The trainings, led by the central office, will be rolled out in regions in the coming weeks. The DepEd also held a national summit on February 16, 2024, to consolidate the reported challenges and concerns from the pilot implementation, identify strengths to be sustained, and come up with a synchronized mechanism of support for the measure.
The phased implementation of the curriculum is set for School Year 2024-2025, starting with Kindergarten, Grades 1, 4, and 7. The full implementation of the curriculum for all grade levels is expected by School Year 2027-2028.
Why is the MATATAG Curriculum important?
The MATATAG Curriculum is important because it aims to improve the quality and relevance of basic education in the Philippines. It also supports the learning recovery efforts of the DepEd amid the challenges brought by the Covid-19 pandemic. By providing learners with the necessary skills and competencies, the MATATAG Curriculum hopes to prepare them for the future and enable them to contribute to the development of the nation.
As Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte said in her speech during the national summit, “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”.