(May 29, 2019) - Aside from addressing gaps in access and initiatives towards quality, Briones said that DepEd will also focus on “striking a balance” between hard sciences and soft or social sciences. “While were picking up on Science and Technology, we should not forget sports, culture, and history,” she said in an interview with the Manila Bulletin.
(May 28, 2019) - Amid the controversies that have shrouded the removal of Filipino and Panitikan as mandatory courses in college, Education Secretary Leonor Briones assured that teaching of the national language remains “covered” in the basic education curriculum. “This is all embedded in the curriculum,” Briones said when asked to comment if DepEd would be able to cover teaching Filipino now that the teaching of the national language, as well as Panitikan, will no longer be mandatory in the tertiary level.
(May 24, 2019) - Briones stressed that the DepEd, through its Child Protection Policy (CPP), remained committed to “protecting all children” – regardless of gender, sexual orientation – among others. When it comes to cyber abuse and other related incidents, Briones urged stakeholders to also look at “bigger picture” of the problem. “This is one of the consequences of technology as well as the changing moral values.” Thus, she reminded stakeholders that incidents such as these are not just a challenge to the schools, the teachers and the parents but a “challenge to the entire community.”
(May 22, 2019) - Briones, in a press conference in Malacañang to discuss the preparations for the upcoming opening of classes for the school year 2019-2020 and other updates, said students – especially those from Science High Schools – have been representing the country in various international competitions. “They have been participating in international contests…when you compete at the world level and you get recognized, that is something to be proud of,” she said.
(May 23, 2019) - MANILA, Philippines — Education Secretary Leonor Briones said she supported “as a matter of principle” the measure approved in the House of Representatives making the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) program compulsory for Grades 11 and 12 students. In times of war, future ROTC graduates are the country’s first line of defense against foreign forces, said Briones, who recalled the country’s experience in World War II.
(May 22, 2019) The House of Representatives approved on third and final reading on Monday a bill requiring a mandatory ROTC program for Grades 11 and 12 students. Briones noted that if the proposed mandatory ROTC will push through, DepEd will be “more involved” in the implementation. Among its important features, she added, is the “expanded role” of DepEd in the curriculum as well as in the monitoring process. For Briones, mandatory ROTC will help instill nationalism among the students. Its curriculum, she added, will also focus on Philippine history and protection of the country – among others.
