DepEd to integrate social emotional learning in public school curriculum

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Education (DepEd) will infuse social emotional learning (SEL) in the curriculum of public schools to address the emotional quotient (EQ) development of students aside from their intelligence quotient (IQ).

Education Secretary Jesli Lapus said that SEL will be integrated in the Edukasyong Pagpapakatao (Character Education) subject and would seek to develop self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision making.

“These skills are expected to facilitate academic achievement and develop well-rounded, wholesome individuals,” Lapus said.

“Developing lifelong learners in a fast-changing world calls for continuous refinement in education,” he added.

Lapus said that DepEd was continuously developing the basic education curriculum, pointing out that the Edukasyong Pagpapakatao subject especially for the elementary level has recently been “enriched” to strengthen values on nationalism and love of cultural heritage while learning will be made more interactive, experiential and ICT-enabled.

The inclusion of SEL in the elementary curriculum is aligned with the Education For All (EFA) thrust that aims to upgrade the quality of basic education by 2015.

The move to integrate SEL through the Edukasyong Pagpapakatao at Sibika at Kultura/HEKASI has been decreed by Lapus through DepEd Order No. 71 series of 2009.  

In the order, Lapus had ordered that natural songs, folk dances, poems, folklores, other literature and customs and traditions that enrich the Filipino culture be embedded in the school environment.

The order also prescribed a “Talk Less and Learn More” approach to teaching wherein experiential, interactive, and cooperative learning and utilization of ICT (information communication technology) mode of instruction be adopted by teachers.