Lapus scraps bilingual education
By Gigi Muñoz David Manila Standard Education Secretary Jesli Lapus has signed Department of Education Order 74 nullifying the 35-year-old bilingual directive laid down in the 1970s on English and Filipino as the only languages of instruction. Neither of the languages is the first language (L1) of most Filipinos. Lapus said findings of various local initiatives and international studies in basic education have validated the superiority of the use of the learner’s mother tongue or L1 in improving learning outcomes and promoting Education For All. He added the Order 74 institutionalizes the use of mother tongue as a fundamental educational policy and program in the department in the whole stretch of formal education including preschool and in the Alternative Learning System. The policy widely referred to as mother tongue-based multilingual education aims to improve learning outcomes and promote EFA. Lapus cited findings from international and local research such as learners acquire readi...