MANILA — President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has signed a law giving the Department of Education (DepEd) greater freedom to overhaul teaching methods and requiring a comprehensive review of the basic education curriculum every five years.
Republic Act No. 12322, signed on Aug. 2, amends portions of the Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013 to allow DepEd to determine the instructional approaches best suited to help students master the required competencies at every learning level.
The law states that “the curriculum shall employ the approach deemed most effective by the DepEd to ensure mastery of knowledge and skills after each level.”
Under the measure, DepEd will no longer be restricted by the specific curriculum design principles previously prescribed by law. Instead, the department may adopt teaching strategies it considers most effective in improving student learning outcomes.
The expanded authority is intended to give DepEd greater flexibility in updating classroom practices and implementing evidence-based methods as the needs of Filipino learners evolve.
The law also directs the department to conduct a comprehensive review of the basic education curriculum every five years to determine whether it remains relevant, responsive and effective.
Republic Act No. 12322 will take effect 15 days after its publication in the Official Gazette or a newspaper of general circulation./PN
