SENATOR Sherwin Gatchalian has expressed support for the proposed removal of the spiral progression approach in science education, saying it has been difficult to implement due to the shortage of specialized teachers in Philippine schools.

Gatchalian said many biology teachers welcomed the proposed shift away from the spiral system, where concepts are introduced in small increments across multiple grade levels.

“Nagpalakpakan yung mga biology teachers dahil ang hirap ituro ito,” he said, noting the challenges educators face in teaching fragmented lessons year after year.

The senator also pointed out that the shortage of science teachers has forced some schools to assign instructors outside their area of specialization.

“Minsan ang English teacher nagtuturo ng science, o ang physics teacher nagtuturo ng biology. Hindi maganda iyon sa bata dahil hindi expert ang nagtuturo,” he explained.

Under the proposed changes, the Department of Education would shift toward a discipline-based curriculum, where subjects are taught in full per grade level, similar to earlier education models.

Gatchalian said this approach would allow students to focus more deeply on a single field, such as biology or statistics, within a school year.

“Noong panahon ko, ganoon—isang buong taon naka-focus sa isang subject tulad ng biology o statistics,” he said. “Iyon ang nais nating ibalik.”

The proposed reform comes as education officials continue reviewing the K to 12 curriculum to address longstanding concerns over learning gaps, teacher capacity, and student outcomes.