Philippines to teach good manners despite challenges posed by distance learning -DepEd

The Department of Education (DepEd) will comply with the law mandating the inclusion of Good Manners and Right Conduct (GMRC) courses in the K-12 program despite the challenges posed by the country’s transition to online learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In an interview on Dobol B sa News TV, Education Undersecretary Diosdado San Antonio said while DepEd can do so despite the challenges in the implementation of the law, considering the blended mode of learning.

“Sa atin po ‘yong most essential learning competency na gagamitin ngayong pasukang 2020-2021, may 313 na competencies po na identified sa Edukasyon sa Pagpapakatao (ESP) simula grade 1 hanggang grade 10,” San Antonio said.

“I-implement po natin ‘yon at patuloy din po tayong maghahanap ng mas mabisang paraan na ang mga konseptong ito ay totoong matutunan.”

“May challenge kasi distance learning tayo, hindi makikita ni teacher ang actual behavior ng mga estudyante. Karamihan lang po niyan ay makikita sa mga output, mga performance na ipapadala,” San Antonio said.

He said GMRC teachers would make the necessary adjustments and would send modules to students if needed.

San Antonio said parents would play important roles in teaching their children GMRC.

“Baka po mas mabilis na matutuo ngayon kasi mga magulang talaga mismo ang magiging gabay sa tamang pag-uugali at pagpapahalaga,” San Antonio said.

San Antonio said the DepEd said it had tapped volunteer community learning facilitators to help in the implementation of the law among students in various local government units.

He also assured the teachers who would handle the subject would be certified and trained.

“May mga teachers na pupunta mismo sa bahay paminsan-minsan tapos mag-observe sila ng social distancing pero ‘di po ito pang araw-araw na mangyayari,” San Antonio said.

San Antonio said that DepEd was open to any suggestions coming from different sectors as regards the development of learners amid the need for alternative learning systems.

On Thursday, President Rodrigo Duterte signed Republic Act 11476 or the GMRC and Values Education Act, which mandates the inclusion of GMRC classes in the K-12 program.

Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri, principal author of RA 11476, said he was hoping that the new law would help the youth learn important values despite the absence of physical interactions with their classmates and teachers amid the pandemic.

The shift to the K-12 curriculum in 2013 dissolved GMRC as a regular subject and integrated it to the ESP, which is only given 30 minutes per day at the primary level and two one-hour sessions per week at the secondary level.

Under the law, GMRC will be introduced to kindergartens in their daily learning activities. It will be institutionalized as a separate subject from Grades 1 to 6.

The law also said the GMRC curriculum must focus on the basic tenets such as caring for oneself, giving concern for others, according proper respect to people, upholding discipline and order, cultivating sincerity, honesty, obedience and love for country.

From Grades 7 to 10, values education will also be taught as a regular subject. Once the students reach senior high school, values education will still be integrated in their other subjects. -NB, GMA News