The department of education, DepEd Order 20 series of 2018 entitled
Amendment to DepEd Order 47 s. 2016., Otherwise known as the “Omnibus Policy on Kindergarten Education”., Clarifying that the Cut-off Age Policy is applicable to Both Public and Private Schools and Providing for Transitory Provisions to accommodate Kinder and Grade One Enrollees for SY 2018-2019 and SY 2019- 2020 who may be Affected by this policy and for Other Purposes. This three-page Dep-Ed order dated 19 April 2018 only had two major points which are (1) changing the implementation of DO 47 s. 2016 and (2) postponing the full implementation of this DepEd Order 47 up to SY. 2020-2021. With respect to the above DepEd order. I would like to share my views and opinion to this matter. This may not seem to be so much of a big deal. However, somehow this has drastic implications in the field which enacted DO. 47. S 2016 for the previous years. The issue with this is -if it is played within the gray areas of one year, five years old and prerequisite for grade 1. Section C of DO 20. S. 2018 is actually doing that with this RA 10157. However, it is quite obvious that RA 10157 is definitely stating that a student should be 5 years old before kindergarten. The reason for this is because the statement started with one-year preparatory education for children at least 5 years old. The word at least is stating a condition in order to be eligible for a preparatory education which was referring to Kindergarten. Many early childhood advocates believe that children learn on their own pace. One of Heather Shumaker’s quote says: Don’t rush kids into academic learning before ages six or seven. It’s a waste of their precious time. Child development moves at the pace of evolution. Accept its natural pace; don’t try to accelerate it. Playing ball, blocks and dress-up is exactly what your child needs to do, learning in her own time, at her own rate. Young kids need ample time to explore and play-their brain and emotional health depend on it. Republic of the Philippines State Universities and Colleges GUIMARAS STATE COLLEGE GRADUATE SCHOOL
There are contrasting views among the stakeholders. Some parents of
learners adversely affected by the cut off age policy for kinder saying that the said policy, indubitably causes grave and irreparable injury to them as it unjustly infringes upon their clear and unmistakable right to rear their children and direct their education. Yet, educators believe that the prominence of early childhood education in children’s lives is now beyond questions. An initial start to life is well recognized as the foundation to future development. Not only have the children who participate in early childhood program get benefit but also the families and community. It has been shown that children who attended early childhood centers of high quality were more successful at school, remained at school longer, and continued to achieve more after they had left school. They grew up feeling a sense of belonging in their community and society and were more able to take control of their own lives. (Early Childhood Development, 2001). I’m basically not a kindergarten student, neither a parent nor a DepEd personnel. I may not be able to realize the meaning and purpose underlying it. But I certainly believe that the effectiveness of this order will be determined through the future’s success of the learners. May it bring the best out of the learner and help them grow holistically. Republic of the Philippines State Universities and Colleges GUIMARAS STATE COLLEGE GRADUATE SCHOOL
The Department of education, DepEd Memorandum no. 083 s 2018, entitled
National Music Competitions for Young Artists in pursuant to the Presidential Proclamation No. 25. s. 1998 which is the last week of November of each year is designated as the National Music Week in which the NAMCYA Competitions are the main focus of the celebration. The launching of 2018 National Music Competition for young Artists (NAMCYA) which is spearheaded by the National Music Competitions for Young Artists Foundation Inc. in cooperation with the Department of Education Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP), and the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) justifies Howard Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences. For people who are musically inclined this competition shall be a breakthrough for them to showcase their talent outside their comfort zone. For music educators, in particular, the idea of a “musical intelligence” highlights the value of arts in education. Gardner argued, that everyone possesses some capacity in all the intelligences,” which he referred to as “ways of knowing and understanding yourself and the world around you. Thus, it encourages educators to create environments in which all these capacities can be explored. Recognizing every student’s ability may encourage other learners to come out and be who they are knowing that their special ability is being acknowledged by the society. In a friendly competition, we hope to see and recognize the talent within the students who were deeply ignored in the past not knowing that learners are individuals and diverse with their respective talents and abilities…