19 languages for MTB-MLE ‘inconvenient’ – Win
Urges DepEd to go ‘learner-centered’
SENATOR Sherwin “Win” Gatchalian quizzes the Department of Education (DepEd) Monday, June 26, 2023, about the use of 19 local languages as medium of instruction and subject area under the Mother-Tongue Based Multilingual Education (MTB-MLE) program.
As the Committee on Basic Education held its third public hearing on the implementation of the MTB-MLE program under the K to 12 Act (Republic Act [RA] No. 10533), Gatchalian questioned the DepEd’s “flawed” selection as he noted the exclusion of other widely-used dialects and the non-disaggregation of languages.
“It’s what’s convenient for us, the government. Because we all know, that implementing the 184 languages… is impossible. It’s convenient for us, not convenient for the learners,” Gatchalian said.
“But if you are going to implement a true, learner-centered approach, then we have to stay true to the [mother tongue],” he added
Sen. Robinhood Padilla, during the public hearing of the Committee on Basic Education, reiterated his support for the full implementation of the Mother Tongue-Based Multilingual Education (MTB-MLE) program.
Padilla said he has been pushing for the use of Filipino in official communications and as a medium of instruction in schools, noting that the Constitution encourages English, Filipino, and regional dialects.
“I hope it will be clear to all of us how this (MTB-MLE program) can be implemented,” Padilla said.
Both senators expressed the belief that under the MTB-MLE program, students will have more chances to understand what is being taught in school.
