ACT TEACHERS Partylist Representative France Castro pushed for measures that aim to reintroduce three subjects in college and high school.

Castro pushed for the approval of House Bill 223 that mandates 9 units of Filipino and 3 units of Filipino literature in college and House Bill 8621 that mandates the inclusion of Philippine History as a subject in the high school curriculum.

“This year’s International Day of Education has a theme of ‘Changing Course, Transforming Education,’ but the education system in our country today is changing for the worst,” Castro said.

“Ang pagpatay ng Commission on Higher Education sa Filipino at Panitikan sa kolehiyo, na sinang-ayunan ng Korte Suprema noong Mayo 2019 at kasabay na pagpatay ng programang K to 12 sa Kasaysayan ng Pilipinas sa hayskul at Philippine Government & Constitution ay isang malaking dagok sa pagkakaroon ng makabayang edukasyon sa Pilipinas. Bukod pa ito sa limitadong akses ng mga kabataan sa edukasyon dahil sa patuloy na sarado ang mga paaralan sa malaking bahagi ng ating bansa,” she added.

The lawmaker explained that as part of the so-called “educational reforms” under K to 12, the Department of Education, through DepEd Order 20, removed Philippine History from the curriculum of high school students.

In effect, Castro said, discussions of events in Philippine history are only integrated in several subjects instead of being an independent subject.

“Para naman sa pag-aaral ng wika, magiging puspusan lamang ang pagtataguyod sa paggamit ng Filipino bilang midyum ng opisyal na komunikasyon at bilang wika ng pagtuturo sa lahat ng antas ng sistemang pang-edukasyon kung puspusan ding itataguyod ang pagtuturo nito bilang asignatura sa lahat ng antas ng edukasyon,” she said.

Castro stressed that the transformation of education must never set aside nationalist, scientific and mass-oriented education that is accessible by all.

“It is up to the government to ensure that education is a priority, that our educators have adequate support and that the curriculum does not aid historical revisionism and historical amnesia for the sins against the Filipino people,” she said.