THE DEPARTMENT of Education plans to add more topics on inclusivity and global citizenship in the curriculum for basic education.

For years, DepEd, through the Bureau of Curriculum Development, has been updating and recalibrating its curriculum to be at par with international curriculums, specifically in the area of global citizenship education integration.

According to United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization, global citizenship education aims to equip learners with values, knowledge and skills on respect for human rights, social justice, diversity, gender equality and environmental sustainability so that they could become responsible global citizens.

“I am happy to share that Philippine Basic Education has gone quite far in terms of advocating GCED in the curriculum. The last three years have been very vital in establishing the structural mechanisms and support relative to the GCED at various governance levels,” BCD Director Jocelyn Andaya stated.

“With these outputs, the GCED advocacy will likely reach 27 million learners. Though much is needed to be done, the Department of Education, through the Bureau of Curriculum Development, is committed to advancing the courses of GCED in the intended curriculum. As such, may we all be challenged to push all the boundaries that limit us in optimizing the premises and possibilities of GCED,” Andaya added.

DepEd, through the International Cooperation Office, has been in touch with different international organizations to gather their best practices, initiatives and projects that will help in the integration of gender sensitivity and responsiveness, cultural appreciation and inclusivity to the DepEd curriculum.

“We believe that everyone, our learners, and ourselves included, is a global citizen. We must evolve our curriculum to focus on cultivating values and integrating concepts of global citizenship to help our learners develop into responsive and empowered individuals capable of building and rebuilding peaceful communities in their respective places,” Undersecretary for Curriculum and Instruction Diosdado San Antonio said.

“In our strokes in shaping the curriculum, we not only integrate concepts of Disaster Risk Reduction Management, gender, and cultural sensitivity, but also inclusivity and global citizenship. These are all important in sensitizing our curriculum to ensure that our learners develop holistically and embody being lifelong learners,” he added.