Mother Tongue in Early Education: Kindergarten to Grade 3 Instruction Redefined

In Manila, Philippines, a big change might happen in schools. Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, who works on education issues, is supporting a new idea. This idea, called Senate Bill No. 2457, wants to change how young kids learn from kindergarten to Grade 3. It suggests using the language that kids speak at home, known as the mother tongue, for teaching in schools. This is because the Philippines has many languages, and the bill wants school to be easier for kids who speak different languages at home.

Senator Gatchalian says that using the same teaching language for all kids in the Philippines isn’t working very well. He thinks this new bill will make things better. He wants to use what has been learned in the last ten years to improve how kids are taught in their own languages. This could help them learn better and understand more in school.

Education experts agree with him. Dr. Maria Lourdes Reyes, who knows a lot about how kids learn languages, says that kids learn best in the language they speak at home. It helps them think and feel better.

This new way of teaching is like what some other countries are doing. For example, Finland and Singapore use kids’ home languages in schools and it works well.

But changing how kids are taught in the Philippines won’t be easy. Teachers will need to learn new ways of teaching, and schools will need different kinds of books and lessons for each language. Even though it’s hard, teachers like Ana Santos are excited. They think it’s a good challenge to help kids learn better.

If this bill becomes a rule, it could really change how kids in the Philippines learn. It’s not just about teaching differently, but also about respecting all the languages in the Philippines. Everyone is waiting to see what happens with this bill, hoping it will make school better for all kids in the Philippines.