THE Department of Education has clarified that foreign languages taught in selected public schools as elective subjects – particularly Korean – are not meant to replace the Filipino subject in the basic education curriculum.
DepEd emphasized that offering of the foreign language program is in “no way intended to and shall not replace the Filipino subject” on the basic education level.
The department issued the clarification “amid misguided assertions and the timing of reports about the offering of elective Korean language class in selected public schools.”
The DepEd also “encourages the contribution of informed and fact-based opinions to the discussion instead of the proliferation of conclusions that sow seeds of confusion and disinformation.”
The inclusion of the Korean language in the DepEd Special Program in Foreign Language was formalized in June 2017 under a memorandum of agreement between the Philippines and South Korea.
The offering of the Korean language class became an issue following the recent decision of the Supreme Court to lift the temporary restraining order against a memorandum of the Commission on Higher Education excluding Filipino and Panitikan as core college courses. The SC decision has drawn flak from Filipino language advocates and other stakeholders.
DepEd said that the study of the Korean language is “elective and not part of the core subjects” of around 700 learners in 10 selected junior high schools in the National Capital Region. Apart from offering Korean language class, DepEd is currently implementing five SPFL classes in Spanish, French, German, Chinese, and Japanese, in all public schools. (Ina Hernando Malipot)
