Angara: DepEd to meet with teachers groups to allay fears on mother tongue removal

The Department of Education (DepEd) will set a meeting with teachers groups in a bid to dismiss their concerns regarding the new policy that discontinued the use of the mother tongue as a medium of instruction from Kindergarten to Grade 3, Secretary Sonny Angara said Thursday.

WATCH: Education Secretary Sonny Angara on the concerns of some teachers groups regarding the new law that discontinued the use of mother tongue as a medium of instruction from Kinder to Grade 3. @gmanews pic.twitter.com/lvuSuZHGAg

— Giselle Ombay (@giselleombay_) October 24, 2024

Angara, however, admitted that DepEd has “no choice” on the matter as they have to abide by the law.

Despite this, he said the agency will hear out the concerns of teachers and the remedial measures which they propose to happen.

“Well, batas ‘yan eh. No choice kami diyan. So siguro makipag-pulong na lang kami ano ‘yung magandang [paraan], kung may middle grounds at mga pwedeng gawin para ‘yung mga fears nila or ‘yung agam-agam nila, hindi magkatuluyan,” Angara said in an ambush interview.

(Well, that's a law. We have no choice in that. So maybe we should just have a meeting with the teachers to hear their solutions and to know if there’s a middle ground so that their fears and doubts will diminish.)

“Pero batas ‘yan. At tayo, no choice naman ang Departamento. Kailangan naming sundan ‘yan,” he added.

(But that’s a law. The Department has no choice but to follow it.)

The proposed measure which seeks to cease the use of mother tongue for Kindergarten to Grade 3 and provide for its optional implementation in monolingual classes lapsed into law earlier this month without President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr.'s signature. It is now referred to as Republic Act No. 12027.

With this new law, the medium of instruction shall revert to Filipino and, until otherwise provided by law, English.

Meanwhile, the regional languages shall serve as auxiliary media of instruction.

Expressing concerns, the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) said the new law may “further detract” from resolving the education crisis and correcting the flaws in the curriculum.

“The development of foundational literacy skills should be ensured in the primary grades. However, the new law discontinuing the use of the mother tongue as medium of instruction from Kindergarten to Grade 3 runs counter to this objective,” ACT chairperson Vladimer Quetua said in a statement.

“The teaching of Mother Tongue as a subject is foundational in developing literacy skills as learners can learn to read and write the easiest with the language that they use and most understand. Mother Tongue also enhances the awareness and appreciation of learners of their cultural identity, and preserves and nurtures our own culture,” he added.

The Teachers' Dignity Coalition, on the other hand, said that it is better to teach learners in their first few years in school using their mother tongue.

“Mas mainam na ‘yung bata ay turuan doon sa key stage, doon sa first years of schooling sa kanyang sariling lenggwahe. Dahil nga rito, medyo nakakalungkot,” TDC chairperson Benjo Basas said.

(It’s better to teach a child during the key stage—in his/her first years of schooling in his own language. This law is a bit saddening.) — RSJ, GMA Integrated News