Fewer contact hours, learning competencies for AP subjects, feared to continue post-pandemic

Art by Vince Julius Balaga

Philippine history advocates worry about the future of history education amid sentiments on the possibility of continuous implementation of a ‘flexible learning’ setup even after the world goes back to ‘normal’.

Since shifting to remote learning, basic education students, even teachers, saw massive changes in their curriculum.

These adjustments include decreased contact hours, compression of syllabus, and removal of some learning competencies.

Advocates from the High School Philippine History Movement (HSPHM), in a press conference last May 22, expressed concerns on the future landscape of education.

“We are entering a new normal. Ang assumption ng ibang private institutions and even public institutions, magiging hybrid education ‘yan. What would hybrid education look like?,” said Jamaico ignacio, HSPHM president.

Due to the pandemic, the Department of Education (DepEd) and all higher education institutions were forced into adjusting the curriculum and course syllabus to adapt to the sudden shift in education setup.

“Yung kabawasan ng learning competencies pati learning hours sa AP, will this be a continuing trend in the hybrid learning na prino-propose? Ito yung dapat nating pagmatiyagan,” added Ignacio.

In the DepEd learning continuity plan published in July last year, a huge percentage of the most essential learning competencies (MELCs) was removed.

For Araling Panlipunan alone, a 52% drop in MELCs was observed. From 527 MELCs in the school year before the pandemic, only 255 MELCs were retained.

The group reiterated its proposal to increase contact hours for Araling Panlipunan subjects, and highlighted the importance of giving Philippine history more ‘air time’ in high school education.

“Kasama din sa petition namin, dagdagan ng isa pang contact hour ang Araling Panlipunan, so that it will give more time and space for AP Teachers to teach contemporary Philippine issues at Philippine history,” reiterated Ignacio.

Coincidentally, on the same day, the Commission on Higher Education chairperson made a statement on the possibility of the continuity of ‘flexible learning’ in the post-pandemic setup.