140,000 teachers undergo training for K+12 program

MANILA, Philippines - More than 140,000 public school teachers of Grades 1 and 7 are undergoing training to be able to teach the enhanced curriculum of the K (Kindergarten) + 12 basic education curriculum (BEC) starting school year 2012-2013.

The Department of Education (DepEd) training program covers 73,655 Grade 1 teachers and 70,227 Grade 7 teachers.

The training started last May 7 and will end June 1.

More than 3,000 teachers were instructed on the significant features and core elements of the K+12 curriculum.

They will cascade to teachers who will teach Grades 1 and 7 (first year high school) curriculum starting school year 2012-2013.

DepEd is set to implement the Grades 1 and 7 curriculum in all public elementary and secondary schools nationwide when schools open on June 4.

Subject area convenors and curriculum writers as well as trainers on mother tongue-based education from DepEd regional and division offices will handle the training of trainers for the implementation of the Grade 1 curriculum.

Half of the trainers for the Grade 7 curriculum came from teacher education institutions, centers of excellence and centers of development in education.

The other half were expert trainers on each subject area from the DepEd regions.

In both trainings, the Bureaus of Elementary and Secondary Education gave the participants an orientation on the curriculum framework as well as assessment framework for elementary and secondary level.

Trained to be trainers for the Grade 1 curriculum were education programs specialists, department heads and master teachers.

Over 3,000 participants composed of 1,545 Grade 7 trainers and 1,478 elementary trainers attended the training on Filipino, English, Mathematics, Science, Health, Music, Arts and Physical Education, and Araling Panlipunan learning areas.

They are expected to comprise the national core of trainers on the K+12 curriculum.

“It is an honor to be chosen as one of the K+12 trainers and be a part of this very significant education reform program and we look forward to the effective implementation of this program in all public schools nationwide,” said Erlinda Barcelo, division coordinator in Filipino and mother tongue-based multi-lingual education in Cotabato City.

Meanwhile, the DepEd Central Office has regional directors to accommodate teachers from private schools who signified their intention to participate in the training program on the implementation of the new curriculum.