Teacher seeks TRO vs. DepEd memo removing strands in Senior High School

Teacher Barry Tayam on Friday filed a petition asking the Supreme Court (SC) to issue a temporary restraining order (TRO) against the Department of Education's (DepEd) removal of four academic strands.

In a 24-page petition, Tayam asked the SC to issue a TRO and/ or status quo ante order prohibiting the respondents from implementing DepEd Memorandum 012, series of 2026.

The memorandum mandates the dissolution of the Accountancy, Business, and Management (ABM); Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM); Humanities and Social Sciences (HUMSS); and the General Academic (GA) strands for Grades 11 and 12.

Under the revised curriculum, the system will be streamlined into two main pathways: Academic and Technical-Professional.

"Aside from being electives na lang 'yung mga specialized subject, ako bilang isang ABM teacher, 'yung core subject ay nanganganib. So 'yung core subject, from 15 core subjects magiging lima na lamang po," Tayam said in an ambush interview.

(Aside from the specialized subjects becoming merely electives, as an ABM teacher, the core subjects are in danger. So the core subjects, from 15 core subjects, will become only five.)

"Hindi po siya, tingin ko, naaayon doon sa constitutionality na dapat maganda 'yung quality ng edukasyon na binibigay sa ating mga kabataan. So logically, paano natin masasabi na itong DepEd ay magbibigay ng quality education kung itong core subjects ay babawasan," he added.

(I think it does not conform with the constitutional principle that the quality of education being given to our youth should be good. So logically, how can we say that the DepEd will provide quality education if these core subjects are being reduced?)

Aside from this, Tayam asked the SC to set the case for oral arguments.

He also sought the declaration of the memorandum as unconstitutional and void for having been issued with grave abuse of discretion amounting to lack or excess of jurisdiction.

Tayam asked the High Court to direct the permanent retention and implementation of the Basic Education Curriculum, which he said would preserve 15 core subjects and the traditional SHS strands.

He also requested the SC to render its decision in Tagalog.

GMA News Online has requested comment from the DepEd on the matter, but it has yet to respond as of posting time. — VDV, GMA News