EVERYMAN
Prof. David Michael San Juan
De La Salle University-Manila
11/2/2012
(Concluded from Friday)
The K to 12 scheme: A poison pill
Unfortunately for netizens and citizens alike, the Philippine government won't be contented with winning just the online battle against radicals. It is a fact that schools, especially universities, are known breeding ground for all sorts of ideas. Indeed, universities are known bastions of academic freedom and unrestrained research. Hence, universities are venues where the seeds of good radical ideas are planted in the minds and hearts of young citizens who learn the value of critical thinking and reasoning. These skills are best honed or developed at the university level where the country's strong old General Education Curriculum provides students with a comprehensive and holistic education that emphasizes the liberal arts/humanities. It is thus no wonder that college students are among the most politicized and the most engaged netizens and citizens who not only contribute to the general endeavor of Facebooking or Twittering "the revolution's" development, but also participate in actual assemblies, discussions, rallies etc. that challenge the evil forces of the status quo.
College students are known to join protest actions against corruption, militarism, humungous debt payments, lack of ample education budget etc., as they are much capable of digesting current national events and their relationships to their day-to-day struggles as student-citizens, having been challenged by their professors to think creatively and critically at all times. Hence, as per the Philippine government's malevolent agenda, it is necessary to dilute if not totally obliterate the liberal arts/humanities component of the GEC at the university level. It is in this context that the Philippine government has started implementing the World Bank-supported Kindergarten to 12 years of Basic Education (K to 12) scheme.
Under the Philippine K to 12 scheme, the GEC at the university level is downsized, with most of the subjects transferred to the senior high school/junior college level (the additional two years after the four years of junior high school or plainly, "high school" in the old curriculum). Indeed, based on the most recent draft of the curriculum for the new college GEC and core subjects of the senior high school/junior college level under K to 12, the new liberal arts/humanities components will generally be diluted as compared with that of the components under the old GEC.
The politics of language
For example, as per the K to 12 Program, there will be no Filipino subject left in the new Revised General Education Curriculum for the university level, as stated in the August 29, 2012 presentation of DepEd Assistant Secretary Tonisito M. C. Umali, Esq. available at http://ceap.org.ph/upload/download/20129/1881921971_1.pdf
Here's what the pertinent slide states:
Proponents of the K to 12 claim that Filipino subjects would be transferred to the senior high school/junior college level under the K to 12 scheme. Unfortunately, only one Filipino subject (Retorika) will be included in the senior high school/junior college curriculum as stated in the document "K TO 12 TOOLKIT: Reference Guide for Teacher Educators, School Administrators, and Teachers (2012)" released by the SEAMEO-INNOTECH (with the DepEd's imprimatur considering that DepEd Secretary Br. Armin Luistro, FSC gave an introductory message in the document). As per this document, only FILIPINO: RETORIKA will be REQUIRED! Meanwhile, Filipino for Specific Purposes is OPTIONAL! The said document is available at http://www.gov.ph/downloads/2012/201209-K-to-12-Toolkit.pdf Here's the pertinent part:
It is necessary to emphasize that the obliteration of some Filipino subjects perfectly fits the Philippine government's plan on its war against radicals, considering that the Filipino language is the dominant language of dissent and expression among the common folk. Hence, obliterating Filipino subjects would somehow weaken the possibility of the radical elite, middle class and lower classes perfecting their facility of a common language where they can freely express themselves and collectively speak against the status quo and in favor of sweeping socio-economic reforms. The obliteration of Filipino subjects weakens the possibility of a strong united front against the unjust status quo.
Killing political science softly
Notice too that the K to 12 scheme lacks any provision for a Political Science subject. In the old GEC, studying Philippine Government and Constitution is a requirement (indeed, it is a constitutional requirement). It must be emphasized that this old subject, now obliterated under the K to 12 scheme, is an important tool in the radicalization of citizens. Goodness, it's the only subject where participation in rallies/public assemblies might be directly required. Without such a subject, how could students effectively learn the value of people empowerment and participation in governance, two things which are necessary for any radical social movement to succeed in realizing its goals to transform society for the better?
Technicalization as dehumanization
Finally, the evident "technicalization" and "dehumanization" of the core curriculum for the senior high school/junior college level are direct machinations to prevent the growth of radical ideas among students. By reducing senior high school/junior college to the mere learning of "technical skills" for immediate employment, the K to 12 scheme aims to "…create a new generation of children who will not have the ability to think or create or listen…," as Mr. Glenn Holland, a music teacher in the movie "Mr. Holland's Opus" (1995) uttered in warning against the death of General Education/Liberal Arts subjects in the United States of America. Imagine a world where "…kids aren't going to have anything to read or write about…" as per Mr. Holland's prophecy. Radicals can't help but remember Mr. Chipping's chilling remark on contemporary education in the film "Goodbye Mr. Chips" (1939): "I know the world's changing. I see old traditions dying one by one. Grace, dignity, feeling for the past. All that matters today is a fat banking account. You're trying to run the school like a factory for turning out moneymaking snobs."
Finally, the K to 12 scheme is thus a dangerous attack against everything that radicals cherish. As Joseph Epstein said in "Who Killed the Liberal Arts? And why we should care": "The death of liberal arts education would constitute a serious subtraction. Without it, we shall no longer have a segment of the population that has a proper standard with which to judge true intellectual achievement. Without it, no one can have a genuine notion of what constitutes an educated man or woman, or why one work of art is superior to another, or what in life is serious and what is trivial. The loss of liberal arts education can only result in replacing authoritative judgment with rivaling expert opinions, the vaunting of the second- and third-rate in politics and art, the supremacy of the faddish and the fashionable in all of life. Without that glimpse of the best that liberal arts education conveys, a nation might wake up living in the worst, and never notice." With the Cybercrime Act of 2012 and the K to 12 scheme at hand, we're treading on the road to perdition. It's good that we still notice it. Let's keep on raging against the dying of the light!
Mr. David Michael San Juan is an instructor of the Filipino Department, De La Salle University-Manila
The K to 12 scheme: A poison pill
Unfortunately for netizens and citizens alike, the Philippine government won't be contented with winning just the online battle against radicals. It is a fact that schools, especially universities, are known breeding ground for all sorts of ideas. Indeed, universities are known bastions of academic freedom and unrestrained research. Hence, universities are venues where the seeds of good radical ideas are planted in the minds and hearts of young citizens who learn the value of critical thinking and reasoning. These skills are best honed or developed at the university level where the country's strong old General Education Curriculum provides students with a comprehensive and holistic education that emphasizes the liberal arts/humanities. It is thus no wonder that college students are among the most politicized and the most engaged netizens and citizens who not only contribute to the general endeavor of Facebooking or Twittering "the revolution's" development, but also participate in actual assemblies, discussions, rallies etc. that challenge the evil forces of the status quo.
College students are known to join protest actions against corruption, militarism, humungous debt payments, lack of ample education budget etc., as they are much capable of digesting current national events and their relationships to their day-to-day struggles as student-citizens, having been challenged by their professors to think creatively and critically at all times. Hence, as per the Philippine government's malevolent agenda, it is necessary to dilute if not totally obliterate the liberal arts/humanities component of the GEC at the university level. It is in this context that the Philippine government has started implementing the World Bank-supported Kindergarten to 12 years of Basic Education (K to 12) scheme.
Under the Philippine K to 12 scheme, the GEC at the university level is downsized, with most of the subjects transferred to the senior high school/junior college level (the additional two years after the four years of junior high school or plainly, "high school" in the old curriculum). Indeed, based on the most recent draft of the curriculum for the new college GEC and core subjects of the senior high school/junior college level under K to 12, the new liberal arts/humanities components will generally be diluted as compared with that of the components under the old GEC.
The politics of language
For example, as per the K to 12 Program, there will be no Filipino subject left in the new Revised General Education Curriculum for the university level, as stated in the August 29, 2012 presentation of DepEd Assistant Secretary Tonisito M. C. Umali, Esq. available at http://ceap.org.ph/upload/download/20129/1881921971_1.pdf
Here's what the pertinent slide states:
Proponents of the K to 12 claim that Filipino subjects would be transferred to the senior high school/junior college level under the K to 12 scheme. Unfortunately, only one Filipino subject (Retorika) will be included in the senior high school/junior college curriculum as stated in the document "K TO 12 TOOLKIT: Reference Guide for Teacher Educators, School Administrators, and Teachers (2012)" released by the SEAMEO-INNOTECH (with the DepEd's imprimatur considering that DepEd Secretary Br. Armin Luistro, FSC gave an introductory message in the document). As per this document, only FILIPINO: RETORIKA will be REQUIRED! Meanwhile, Filipino for Specific Purposes is OPTIONAL! The said document is available at http://www.gov.ph/downloads/2012/201209-K-to-12-Toolkit.pdf Here's the pertinent part:
It is necessary to emphasize that the obliteration of some Filipino subjects perfectly fits the Philippine government's plan on its war against radicals, considering that the Filipino language is the dominant language of dissent and expression among the common folk. Hence, obliterating Filipino subjects would somehow weaken the possibility of the radical elite, middle class and lower classes perfecting their facility of a common language where they can freely express themselves and collectively speak against the status quo and in favor of sweeping socio-economic reforms. The obliteration of Filipino subjects weakens the possibility of a strong united front against the unjust status quo.
Killing political science softly
Notice too that the K to 12 scheme lacks any provision for a Political Science subject. In the old GEC, studying Philippine Government and Constitution is a requirement (indeed, it is a constitutional requirement). It must be emphasized that this old subject, now obliterated under the K to 12 scheme, is an important tool in the radicalization of citizens. Goodness, it's the only subject where participation in rallies/public assemblies might be directly required. Without such a subject, how could students effectively learn the value of people empowerment and participation in governance, two things which are necessary for any radical social movement to succeed in realizing its goals to transform society for the better?
Technicalization as dehumanization
Finally, the evident "technicalization" and "dehumanization" of the core curriculum for the senior high school/junior college level are direct machinations to prevent the growth of radical ideas among students. By reducing senior high school/junior college to the mere learning of "technical skills" for immediate employment, the K to 12 scheme aims to "…create a new generation of children who will not have the ability to think or create or listen…," as Mr. Glenn Holland, a music teacher in the movie "Mr. Holland's Opus" (1995) uttered in warning against the death of General Education/Liberal Arts subjects in the United States of America. Imagine a world where "…kids aren't going to have anything to read or write about…" as per Mr. Holland's prophecy. Radicals can't help but remember Mr. Chipping's chilling remark on contemporary education in the film "Goodbye Mr. Chips" (1939): "I know the world's changing. I see old traditions dying one by one. Grace, dignity, feeling for the past. All that matters today is a fat banking account. You're trying to run the school like a factory for turning out moneymaking snobs."
Finally, the K to 12 scheme is thus a dangerous attack against everything that radicals cherish. As Joseph Epstein said in "Who Killed the Liberal Arts? And why we should care": "The death of liberal arts education would constitute a serious subtraction. Without it, we shall no longer have a segment of the population that has a proper standard with which to judge true intellectual achievement. Without it, no one can have a genuine notion of what constitutes an educated man or woman, or why one work of art is superior to another, or what in life is serious and what is trivial. The loss of liberal arts education can only result in replacing authoritative judgment with rivaling expert opinions, the vaunting of the second- and third-rate in politics and art, the supremacy of the faddish and the fashionable in all of life. Without that glimpse of the best that liberal arts education conveys, a nation might wake up living in the worst, and never notice." With the Cybercrime Act of 2012 and the K to 12 scheme at hand, we're treading on the road to perdition. It's good that we still notice it. Let's keep on raging against the dying of the light!
Mr. David Michael San Juan is an instructor of the Filipino Department, De La Salle University-Manila
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