MANILA (UPDATE) — The Department of Education said Tuesday it would review and update the curriculum for students in Kindergarten to Grade 10.

In a statement, Education Secretary Leonor Briones said the move was part of the department's ongoing curriculum review, which started even before the COVID-19 pandemic and was aimed to address overlaps in learning competencies.

"This is a persisting challenge even before I came in and we continue the review of our curriculum, especially in this time with the pressure to rely on technology and the pressure to respond to what everyone describes as the new normal in the light of COVID-19," Briones said.

The current school year saw the implementation of a revised basic education curriculum after the DepEd reduced the number of learning competencies from 14,171 to the "most essential" 5,689.

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Diosdado San Antonio, DepEd's undersecretary for curriculum and instruction, said the agency plans to roll out an updated K to 10 curriculum by 2022.

The DepEd is eyeing to finalize the curriculum review by this year and hold consultation sessions by early 2022.

"Ang initial agreements talaga namin para sa Kinder hanggang Grade 3, mas paiigtingin natin 'yong pagbabasa, pag-compute at social emotional skills," San Antonio said.

(The initial agreement was for us to sharpen the reading, computing and social emotional skills for Kinder to Grade 3.)

In a text message, San Antonio said the DepEd would also review the curriculum for Grades 11 and 12.

"Next phase 'yan na gagawin (that's the next phase) after the K to 10," he said.

The DepEd added that it would also assess the "Most Essential Learning Competencies," the basic education curriculum for this school year, to see if "these are sufficient for learners to acquire knowledge and skills."

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"Ang aasahan po natin sa magiging curriculum sa mga susunod pagkatapos ng COVID-19 ay nakatuon pa rin tayo sa lubhang mahalaga," San Antonio said.

(Let's expect that the curriculum after COVID-19 still focuses on matters that are very important.)

"Sisikapin natin na hindi siya (curriculum) kasing congested katulad ngayon," he added.

(We'll work hard so the curriculum isn't as congested as it is now.)

In 2019, the DepEd launched the "Sulong Edukalidad" campaign, pivoting its policy toward improving the quality of education from raising enrollment figures.

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