AS MAJORITY of public schools opened for School Year 2024-2025, Senator Sherwin Gatchalian urged the Department of Education to ensure the effective implementation of the MATATAG Curriculum, which entails teachers’ readiness and the availability of quality learning materials.

Gatchalian emphasized the necessity of aligning pre-service training with the MATATAG curriculum. This alignment requires the activation of the revamped Teacher Education Council.

The Excellence in Teacher Education Act or Republic Act No. 11713 mandates the TEC to improve the quality of teacher education and training in the country and establish basic requirements for teacher education programs.

“Matagal nating hinintay ang paglunsad ng MATATAG curriculum at ngayong sisimulan na natin ang pagpapatupad nito, mahalagang ibigay natin sa ating mga guro ang suportang kinakailangan nila,” said Gatchalian, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Basic Education.

Regarding the quality of learning materials, Gatchalian previously filed Proposed Senate Resolution No. 972 to assess the DepEd’s procurement of textbooks and learning materials following the Second Congressional Commission on Education’s or EDCOM II findings on textbook procurement woes.

According to the report, since the introduction of the K to 12 curriculum in 2013, the DepEd has only managed to procure 27 of the 90 required textbook titles for Grades 1 to 10.

EDCOM also found that only learners in Grades 5 and 6 have complete sets of textbooks for all subjects.

The DepEd previously committed to deliver 80% of textbooks for Grades 1, 4 and 7 students by July 2024.

This year’s national budget allotted more than P700 million for the in-service training of public school teachers, administrators, and education support personnel.

To support the implementation of the MATATAG curriculum, the allocation also covers professional development programs to train teachers from Kindergarten to Grade 10.