Thursday, February 07, 2008 Speak Out: English proficiency By Ted Lugtu
SUN.STAR’s banner headline last Feb. 4, 2008 brought back to mind what this paper published in Talk Back on Dec. 14, 2006.
In that letter, I humbly supported and tried to emphasize the merits behind House Bill 1327 of Rep. Luis Villafuerte that, by that time, was already passed by Congress but awaited Senate approval.
From the obviously worsening problem in English proficiency in our schools, one can’t but wonder why it takes so much time for our systems to adjust to realities.
From the results of the 2006 National Achievement Test of the Department of Education, Grade 6 pupils and fourth year high school students garnered only 54.05 percent and 47.7 percent respectively.
Poor enough by any standard but certainly much better than the latest Mean Percentage Score of “34 per cent or below in English” this year!
What could be behind such a showing that, instead of improving, is getting worse?
If I may repeat my opinion expressed in the Dec. 14, 2006 letter, there’s an obvious lack of concentration on subjects that really matter, English being the main issue.
Way back in 1974, our government already adopted in our educational system the simultaneous use of English and Filipino.
But call it ultra nationalism, other subjects like Social Studies, Character Education, Industrial Arts, Home Economics, Physical Education, etc. were taught in Filipino or worse, with local dialects as substitute.
In fact, a certain congressman in the Visayas proposed at one time to substitute Cebuano for Tagalog in the primary levels.
Given the worldwide realities facing us today, emphasis on English wherever possible in our educational system is logical and virtually necessary if we must regain our high rating in English, the “international language.”
Villafuerte’s House Bill No. 1327 is definitely on the right track. He deserves to be heard on his proposal to have English as the medium of instruction in our schools, using Tagalog only when taught as a subject.
If I may add an important point, let’s give more emphasis on primary academics like English, Math and Science, together with Computer Technology, while downplaying or even eliminating some subjects that only distract the students.
Among these are “projects” that have little or no bearing with the learning process yet are actually and needlessly assigned in routine fashion even among young pupils.
