The Teachers’ Dignity Coalition (TDC) on Monday criticized what it described as the Department of Education’s (DepEd) hasty implementation of the revised Senior High School (SHS) curriculum, warning that insufficient preparation could undermine the pilot rollout scheduled for School Year 2025–2026.
The pilot program, set to begin on June 16, will be conducted in 841 public and private schools across urban and rural areas nationwide. However, the TDC raised red flags over the lack of readiness among teachers tasked with implementing the new curriculum.
“While we acknowledge the efforts of the DepEd to improve the SHS curriculum, we must voice the growing concern among our teachers who are being asked to implement major changes without sufficient preparation,” said Benjo Basas, a Caloocan City SHS teacher and TDC national chairperson.
Basas said many teachers have yet to receive the necessary teaching materials or attend formal training just two weeks before the scheduled opening of classes.
“This places unnecessary pressure on teachers and school heads and may compromise the quality of instruction,” he added.
The revised SHS curriculum includes the long-sought return of Philippine History as a core subject—an advocacy that TDC has championed for years. Basas welcomed the development but cautioned that curriculum changes alone cannot resolve the deep-rooted challenges in the country’s education sector.
“Curriculum revision is only one aspect of reform. It cannot be the centerpiece of SHS or basic education reform,” he said.
He urged the government to address what he described as “foundational issues,” including shortages in classrooms and instructional resources, inadequate compensation and welfare for teachers, poor learning environments, and inefficiencies in education spending.
“Above all, the state must fulfill its constitutional mandate to provide adequate funding for the education sector,” Basas said.
The TDC warned that the rushed implementation of a new curriculum without addressing systemic shortcomings would result in superficial changes.
“To strengthen the SHS program, we must begin by strengthening the ground where education takes place, not merely reshuffling what is written on paper,” Basas said.
The group reiterated its call for genuine consultation and collaboration between DepEd and frontline educators to ensure reforms reflect classroom realities.
