PHL Science Education: How early is too early?

Reports that Science will no longer be offered in Grade 1 once the Department of Education’s K+12 program is implemented elicited negative reactions from Social Networking sites. Netizens mourned the exclusion of what turned out to be a long-standing practice in public schools.

 

DepEd Assistant Secretary Tonisito Umali clarified to GMA News Online that Science as a subject has always been excluded from the subjects offered to students in Grade 1. Public Schools start Science in Grade 3, although private schools have the discretion to introduce it earlier.

 

It would appear that DepEd’s K+12 program is just a reinforcement of a format of including Science in the roster of subjects only in Grade 3. 

 

But some experts suggest that maybe it’s time we start teaching Science as early as Grade 1, if not earlier.

 

Too complicated for Grade 1?

 

Umali explained that science lessons are incorporated into subjects that Grade 1 pupils take up. “In English, we teach them about living things/non living things. We teach go, glow, grow food in Health. We touch on the subject of Ecosystem in Araling Panlipunan,” Umali said.

 

“The reason why we don’t teach Science in Grade 1 is that we want our students to master literacy first - communication, and basic counting skills,” Umali said, “let’s not bombard them with complicated concepts.”

 

Umali added that parents, over the years, have complained that their children are being made to do too many assignments at the onset of their education. “How can you master so many things at the same time? We believe that when they get to Grade 3, mas handa na ang bata na mag absorb.”

 

“In grade 1, you first prepare the mind of the kid for grade 3, huwag munang ituro ang mga bagay na hindi pa nila kailangang malaman,” Umali added, “meron naman tayo sa Grade 1 ng basic concepts ng Science.”

 

Scattered lessons, confused learning

 

DepEd, on its Twitter page, said Science will be "more enhanced" under the K+12 program although the agency reiterated Science will be an integration to major subjects beginning Kindergarten. 

 

But Blogwatch Editor Noemi Dado, for her part, said the children could easily be confused if Science lessons are scattered into different subjects. 

 

Science, when "enhanced" under the K+12 program, will be "more relevant in daily experience of learners," says DepEd. Dado, however, wanted proof. "Can you show sample lesson plan?" she replied to DepEd via Twitter. As of posting time, DepEd has yet to answer Dado's challenge.

 

Science: Curiosity about the world

 

But for scientist Michael Purugganan —a graduate from the University of the Philippines who is also one of the world's foremost authorities on Genomics at New York University— teaching science to young kids can't come too soon.  

He told GMA News Online via email, “I have to say it was depressing to hear this news, since everywhere else in the world there is such a push to increase student's interest and skills in science.”

 

Contrary to what Umali said, Purugganan believes Science concepts are not “complicated” for a Grade 1 pupil. “What you want to teach them is how to think and figure things out and be curious about the natural world,” he said.   “These are things that we need to teach as early as possible!” he stressed.

 

Purugganan said that teaching Science as early as grade 1 will “have an effect on our ability in the future to train scientists, engineers and doctors that can compete around the world.”

 

Making science fun and engaging

 

The  University of the Philippines Integrated School (UPIS), a public school, offers Science in Grade 1, a variance to the long-running public school style.

 

Science, along with Communication Arts (English & Filipino) and Mathematics, is one of the core subjects of Grade 1 pupils in UPIS.

 

To make it easily digestible to Grade 1 students, Dr. Ronaldo San Jose, UPIS Principal, said science as a subject need not be taught too technical and abstract.

 

The UPIS format in the early grades uses literature-based material to teach ‘complicated’ concepts, including Science. San Jose said that UPIS teachers “deliberately uses poems, stories, news as springboard to lessons.”

 

“One can convey science concepts thru the appropriate choice of literary materials,” San Jose told GMA News Online.

 

Although UPIS is “one with DepEd in the belief that learners at the early grades (K-Grade 2) should focus more on literacy and communication skills,” San Jose said early learners must be equipped with the most basic information about Science.

 

He stressed that teachers “may deliver Science in a manner more fun to the learners” so pupils are able develop the necessary skills and processes requisite to Science in Elementary.

 

International models of education

 

Umali said that, except for Brunei, South East Asian countries use the same format of not teaching Science in grade 1. “Kapantay tayo ng ibang bansa, which is part of what we want to achieve in K-12, na maging pantay tayo sa ibang bansa.”

 

According to Umali, teaching science in the first grade was given a shot here in the Philippines, but was quickly reverted back to the original scheme.

 

Umali cited the case of Finland which, despite having teachers and students spend les time inside the classroom, nevertheless scores high in global studies —including taking second place in science literacy in the latest Program for International Student Assessment survey.  

The lesser amount of time spent inside the classroom is supposedly largely due to Finland’s "unorthodox" education system, which allows teachers to come up with their own instruction methods: students learn mathematics, for instance, by measuring tree trunks in the school garden.

 

The Finnish education system requires students to take a year of kindergarten, 9 years of ‘comprehensive’ school —the equivalent of the Philippines' Elementary schooling— and three years of optional secondary school, for a total of 13 years in all.

 

DepEd’s K+12 program is a model that involves kindergarten, six years of elementary, four years of Junior High School, and the added 2 years in Senior High School —also 13 years.

 

“It’s important to look at other countries, that’s our basis for gauging if we’re doing the right thing,” Umali said.

PHL students fare poorly in Science But DepEd's own statistics show that Filipino schoolkids are faring poorly in Science, the education system notwithstanding.  

As of  2011 data from DepEd, Filipino elementary students fare lowest in Science with 60.73% achievement rate. Achievement rate in Filipino is the highest at 76.45% followed respectively by Hekasi (70.40%), Mathematics (68.43%) and English (65.12%).

 

The same goes for High School students, with a 39.35% achievement rate in Science. 

 

But, in an effort to improve science education, DepEd announced in late 2011 the acquisition of P330 million worth of equipment and other learning tools to be distributed to public high schools.

 

Also last year, DepEd announced an additional 100 science schools, bringing to 200 the elementary schools with a specialized science curriculum.  — TJD, GMA News