SENATE Committee on Basic Education Chairman Sherwin Gatchalian stressed the need to stay faithful to the theory of using the mother tongue as a medium of instruction.

Gatchalian, in defending Senate Bill 2457 or An Act Redefining the Application of the Mother Tongue as Medium of Instruction from Kindergarten to Grade 3, said that based on 39 different researches that were undertaken, every research material pointed to the mother tongue that should be used in monolingual classes.

He said even UNESCO pointed out that if the setting is multi-lingual, there is a case that the mother tongue would be abandoned.

“We’re staying true to the recommendation and of the research that mother tongue should only be applied in monolingual class,” Gatchalian said.

The senator explained that the child will learn faster using the mother tongue technically called ‘the L1.’

“We are limiting the application of mother tongue to monolingual classes as prescribed by the research material and also by experts, ” he added.