Marcos urged to make Filipino the medium of instruction

The ACT Teachers partylist called on President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. to make Filipino the medium of instruction in schools so that students can better understand their lessons.

In Dano Tingcungco’s report on “24 Oras Weekend,” ACT Teachers partylist Rep. France Castro said that learning would be facilitated if students were taught in the Filipino language.

“Kung yung bata ay hindi pamilyar or hindi niya gamay yung language na gagamitin niya at ipapagamit agad ang Ingles, at kung si teacher ay nag-Ingles at hindi maintindihan ng bata, ay walang learning na mangyayari. Kahit ano pa subject ang ituro,” Castro said.

(If a child is unfamiliar or does not know the language he will use, and English will be used immediately, and if the teacher speaks English and the child does not understand it, no learning will take place whatever the subject being taught.)

In his inauguration speech last June 30, Marcos said there should be an improvement in the education materials of students for them to be prepared for employment.

"What we teach in our schools, the materials used must be rethought. I am not talking about history. I am talking about the basics, the sciences. Sharpening theoretical aptitude and imparting vocational skills," he said.

Marcos also vowed to give equal emphasis to the country's national language.

GMA News sought comment from Vice President and Department of Education Secretary Sara Duterte on the matter but she has yet to respond as of posting time.

Filipino or English?

Meanwhile, Filipinos have different views on English as the sole medium of instruction in basic education.

“Mas prefer ko po ‘yung English. Kasi as college student, para mas ma-enhance yung pagsasalita ng English lalo na sa mga kabataan ngayon… kasi lalo na kapag mag-work na rin sila,” a student said.

(I prefer English. As a college student, we need to enhance the use of English among the youth because it would help them, specially when they work.)

“Tagalog pa rin po para sa akin, kung papipiliin po ako kasi Pilipino po tayo at mas pabor pa rin po sa atin ang wikang Filipino. Hindi naman po tayo Amerikano,” a parent added.

(If I were to choose, I would still pick Tagalog because we are Filipinos, and the Filipino language is favorable to us. We are not Americans.)

The Mother Tongue-Based Multilingual Education (MTB-MLE) program was integrated into the K to 12 curriculum so that students from Kindergarten to Grade 3 would be taught in their mother tongue for all subjects, except Filipino and English.

Afterward or starting Grade 4, English is used as the primary medium of instruction.

Continue K to 12

University of the Philippines retired linguistics professor Dr. Ricardo Ma. Nolasco stressed that it was important to maintain the MTB-MLE since studies showed that a student's academic proficiency was better if the lessons were first learned in their own language.

“Sa Pilipinas kasi may misconception na marunong na ang mga bata ng Ingles at maraming bata ang marunong ng Ingles. Hindi po totoo yan,” Nolasco stressed.

(In the Philippines, there is a misconception that children already know English and that many children know English. That is not true.)

“Kung gagamitin mo, yung first language na alam na nila, ang kailangan mo na lang ay ipaliwanag ang content sa wikang naiintindihan nila,” he continued.

(If you use the first language they already know, all you have to do is explain the content in a language they understand.)

Nolasco meanwhile urged Marcos to strengthen the K to 12 curriculum instead of revising it.

“Bigyan natin ng pagsasanay ang mga teachers. Sapagkat sa tingin ko, kung ma-address natin yung kakayahan ng mga teachers, yung pagkakaunawa nila sa paraan ng pagtuturo at nilalaman ng instruction, sa tingin ko malaking bagay ang malulutas natin,” he further emphasized.

(Let's train teachers. Because I think, if we can address the ability of teachers, their understanding of the methods of teaching and the content of instruction, I think we can solve a big problem.) — Mel Matthew Doctor/DVM, GMA News