Bilingual Education and Early Child Care & Development

Introduction

Language is a way of communication with other people. This is a way that

teacher will impart or add knowledge to their students. In today’s world,“bilingualism
is more the norm than the exception,” (LessowHurley, 2000). Governments around
the world are now developing bilingual/multilingual educational policies, not only as
a response to their nations’ innate linguistic heterogeneity, but also as a means of
coping with a world whose borders are increasingly disappearing. The Philippines is
no different from the rest of the world: the average Filipino speaks three to four
languages. There are two official languages, English and Filipino. Filipino, the
amalgam of various local languages, is the language of the streets, popular media and
the masses. Inhabitants of Metro Manila, the nation’s capital, are all exposed to these
two languages the minute they are born. Yet, when they enter school, English is
introduced as the “global” language, as well as the language of math, science and
technology. The Philippines is in a linguistic situation where English and Filipino are
used predominantly for different functions: English is used for formal and business
communication needs, as well as for most academic discourse. Thus, it becomes
imperative to learn this language, mostly at the expense of the other.
The poverty incidence in the country increased from 30 percent in 2003 to 32.9
percent in 2006 (NEDA & UNDP, 2010). The challenges facing Filipino children
today relate to poor health and nutrition, limited early education and or lack of
appropriate psycho-social care and stimulation, inadequate protection — and more
recently, climate change. These core threats to the optimum well-being of young
children have implications in guaranteeing child rights to survival, development and
protection. The problems are closely linked and indicate an urgent need for an
intensive and integrated effort to ensure the optimum development of children (0 to
8). A major poverty intervention program in the country to guarantee child rights and
ensure child well-being and development is ECCD. The implementation of ECCD in
the country is governed by Republic Act No. 8980Footnote1 or the ECCD Act of 2000.
Before the enactment of the ECCD Act, various statutes were promulgated to cater to
the sectoral concerns of children — health, nutrition, education, social
protection/social welfare.

Presentation and Discussion

Bilingual Education
What is Bilingual Education?
 Bilingual Education is a term that refers to the teaching of academic content in
two (2) languages, in a native and second language. Varying amounts of each
language are used depending on the outcome goal of the model.

How does Bilingual Education works?

There are different program models that can be used in bilingual education.

A. Transitional Bilingual Education

Involves the partial or total use of the child’s home language when the child
enters school, and later a change to the use of the school language only. This is
sometimes called early exit bilingual education.

B. Maintenance Bilingual Education

Involves the use of the child’s home language when the child enters school, then
a gradual change to the use of the school language for teaching some subjects and the
native language for teaching others.

The Bilingual Education Program of the Philippines (BEP)

The Bilingual Education Program of the Philippines (BEP), where English is the
medium of instruction in Science and Mathematics and Filipino, or the national
language, in all other subjects, has been recognized as one of the earliest
comprehensive bilingual education experiments in the world. The BEP was
institutionalized in 1974, and since then, it has been the broad framework of the
educational system in the country. Prior to 1974, English had been practically the sole
medium of instruction in the Philippines since 1901 when the public education system
was put in place by the Americans. Since 2009, the BEP has been supplanted by a
new order from the Department of Education (DepEd) supporting the implementation
of the Mother Tongue-Based Multilingual Education (MTB-MLE) at all levels of
education. This order is based on the assumption that mother tongues are the most
effective media for facilitating learning throughout primary education.

The Language provision in the 1987 Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines
which are embodied in Article XIV, Sec. 6 and 7 provide the legal basis for the
various language policies that are being implemented in the country.

       The ratification of the above-mentioned constitution resolved the issue on what

the national language is, since the 1935 and 1973 Philippine Charters were not clear
about this.
The provision are as follows:

1. Section 6.  The national language of the Philippines is Filipino.  As it evolves, it

shall be further
developed and enriched on the basis of existing Philippine and other languages.

2. For purposes of communication and instruction, the official languages of the

Philippines are
Filipino and, until otherwise provided by law, English.

The Philippine Bilingual Education Policy (BEP)

       Consistent with the 1987 constitutional mandate and a declared policy of the
National Board of Education (NBE) on bilingualism in the schools (NBE Resolution
No. 73-7, s.1973) the Department of Education, Culture and Sports (DECS)
promulgated its language policy.

       The policy was first implemented in 1974 when DECS issued Dept. Order No.
25, s. 1974 titled, “Implementing Guidelines for the Policy on Bilingual Education.”

       Bilingual education in the Philippines is defined operationally as the separate use

of Filipino and English as the media of instruction in specific subject areas.  As
embodied in the DECS Order No. 25, Pilipino (changed to Filipino in 1987) shall be
used as medium of instruction in social studies/social sciences, music, arts, physical
education, home economics, practical arts and character education.  English, on the
other hand is allocated to science, mathematics and technology subjects.  The same
subject allocation is provided in the 1987 Policy on Bilingual Education which is
disseminated through Department Order No. 52, s. 1987.

The policy is as follows:

The policy on Bilingual Education aims at the achievement of competence in both

Filipino and English at the national level, through the teaching of both languages and
their use as media of instruction at all levels.  The regional languages shall be used as
auxiliary languages in Grades I and II.  The aspiration of the Filipino nation is to have
its citizens possess skills in Filipino to enable them to perform their functions and
duties in order to meet the needs of the country in the community of nations.

The goals of the Bilingual Education Policy shall be:

1. enhanced learning through two languages to achieve quality education as called for
by the 1987
Constitution;

2. the propagation of Filipino as a language of literacy;

3. the development of Filipino as a linguistic symbol of national unity and identity;

4. the cultivation and elaboration of Filipino as a language of scholarly discourse, that

is to say its continuing intellectualization.
 Early Childhood Care and Development

“The child is one of the most important assets of the nation. Every effort should be
exerted to promote his welfare and enhance his opportunities for a useful and happy
life.” (Art. 1, P.D. 603)

Early Childhood Care and Development Defined

 Refers to the full range of health, nutrition, early education and social services
development programs that provide for basic holistic needs of young children 0 to
age 4, and promote optimum growth and development

 Involves multifaceted process of development: physical, cognitive, emotional,

social and spiritual covering period from pregnancy through transition from home
or ECCD programs into primary school.

 Outcome: a child who is “physically healthy, emotionally sound, socially

competent and ready to learn.”

Early Childhood Care and Development Council

Is a national government agency in the Philippines first tasked as a coordinating

body on early childhood education by virtue of Republic Act 8980 of 2000, and
officially established as a Council in 2009 through Executive Order No. 778. In 2013,
R.A. 10410 or the “Early Years Act of 2013” also known as the EYA Law was
enacted. This is “An act Recognizing The Age From Zero (0) To Eight (8) Years As
The First Crucial Stage Of Educational Development And Strengthening The Early
Childhood Care And Development System (ECCD System) Appropriating Funds
Therefor and For Other Purposes.”

ECCD in the Philippines: Legal Bases

P. D. 1567 (1978)

 Establishing Day Care Center in every Barangay

R.A. 6972 (1990)

 An act establishing a Day Care Center in Every Barangay, Instituting Therein a

Total Development and Protection of Children Program.

R.A. 8980 (2000)

 An Act Promulgating a Comprehensive policy and National System for Early

Childhood Care & Development (ECCD). Providing Funds Therefore and for
Other Purposes.

The Early Years Act of 2013 (R.A. 10410)

 “An act Recognizing The Age From Zero (0) To Eight (8) Years As The First
Crucial Stage Of Educational Development And Strengthening The Early
Childhood Care And Development System (ECCD System) Appropriating Funds
Therefor and For Other Purposes.

 Mandate: Implement the National Education Early Childhood Care and

Development System.

The National System and its Components

Salient Features of EYA 2013

 Recognition of age 0-8 as the first crucial stage of educational development

 Strengthening of ECCD Council to ensure the state’s focus on building a strong

foundation for the development and learning of 0-4 year old children while the
DEpEd takes charge of the 5-8 years old

 Ensuring sustained inter agency and multi-sectoral collaboration for the full range
of health, nutrition, early education and social development of children.

The objectives of the National ECCD System

(a) To achieve improved infant and child survival rates by ensuring that adequate
health and nutrition are accessible to young children and their mothers from the
prenatal period throughout the early childhood years.

(b) To ensure the physical, social, emotional, cognitive, psychological, spiritual and
language development of young children.

(c) To enhance the role of parents and other caregivers and educators of their children
from birth onwards.

(d) To facilitate smooth transition from care and education provided at home to
community or school-based setting and to primary school.

(e) To enhance and sustain the efforts of the communities to promote ECCD programs
and ensure that special support is provided for poor and disadvantaged communities.

(f) To ensure that young children are adequately prepared for the formal learning
system that the both public and private schools are responsive to the development
needs of these children.

(g) To established an efficient system for early identification, prevention, referral and
intervention for the development disorders and disabilities in early childhood; and

(h) To improve the quality standards of public and private ECCD programs through,
but not limited to, a registration and credential system for ECCD service providers.

Age Requirement for Kindergarten

1. Kinder, Nursery, or Preschool?

Preschool, nursery or kinder all technically refer to one thing – early childhood
education for children before they begin compulsory education.

Taking it in the Philippine context, the term used entirely depends on the educational
institution, especially if it’s a private school. But our Department of Education
(DepEd) refers to Kinder as the level before Grade 1. In fact, the K in K-12 refers to
Kinder, while 12 means Grade 1 to 12.

2. What is the age requirement for Kinder?

DepEd requires children to reach 5 years of age before acceptance to the Kinder level.
Furthermore, based on the DepEd Order 47, s. 2016, Omnibus Policy on
Kindergarten, the agency requires kids to be 5 by August 31st of the school year they
will enroll in. This basically means that your child’s 5th birthday should fall before
the said date for him to be admitted as a Kinder student.
Private schools can be more lenient with this age requirement, with some accepting
even kids whose 5th birthdays fall after August 31st. But do note that even if your
child starts Kinder early, there is no guarantee that he will be admitted to Grade 1 in a
big school. The DepEd requirement for Grade 1 admission is for children to reach 6
years of age or more by the August 31st of the school year they will enroll in. It must
also be noted that schools and the DepEd are now more strict in terms of the child’s
age, as K-12 considers the child’s readiness, social and emotional development aside
from mental capacity.

Taking these into consideration, it can be said that anything before the Kinder level
can be called Preschool, as Kinder marks the start of your child’s start in K-12, and
hence anything before that is “pre” or before school, regardless of what some private
schools may call it.

3. How many levels of Kinder/Preschool are required to be accepted to Grade 1?

Going back to its memo, DepEd only requires one year of Kinder (at 5 years old) for a
child to be accepted into Grade 1 (at 6 years old).

On the other hand, some big private schools require 1 level of Preschool and 1 level
of Kinder for admission. So if you are eyeing such schools, then you can opt to enroll
your child in Preschool at 4 years old, for him to be Kinder at 5, and Grade 1 at 6.
Also, don’t forget to ask the school you’re considering if their Kinder level follows
DepEd standards. Private schools again have more flexibility on this matter but they
should still follow the DepEd’s Kinder guidelines and framework. Only Kinder levels
who adhere to the DepEd standard are valid.

If you’re feeling pressured about whether or not to enroll your child in school at 3 or 4
years old, don’t. Observe your child. See if he’s showing interest and readiness to
start schooling. Some parents opt to enroll their child at an early age for socialization
skills and routine setting. While other parents decide to enroll their child at the exact
age of 4 or 5 because they feel that 3 is still quite young. So don’t fret mama and good
luck on your child’s school journey.

Conclusion
 I therefore conclude that in an increasingly global society, the ability to speak and
write in several languages is becoming necessary to effectively compete in job
market, bilingual education preserves children’s sense of pride in the language,
allowing them to move freely in an English-language dominant society while
retaining an important link to their cultural and linguistic heritage.

On the other hand, proper care at early age can do much to create an enabling
environment that ensures protection and support for more broad-based issues such as
childrens’s health; nutrition, psycho-social and cognitive development. ECCD stress
the importance of child-friendly, family-focused and community-based programs that
not only serve to strengthen ongoing social service programs, but improve the
physical and mental capacity of children.

Bilingual Education and The Childhood Care and Development are both part of
the curriculum that enhances the importance of the children as the asset of the society.

Activity to be taken: Essay

Instruction: Explains the following questions. Ten (10) points each.

1. Give at least three (3) advantages of having Bilingual Education and explain it
why?

2. How will early childhood education help children in later years?

References

https://www.renaissance.com/edwords/bilingual-education/

https://www.deped.gov.ph/1987/05/21/do-52-s-1987-the-1987-policy-
on-bilingual-education/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Early_Childhood_Care_and_Developmen
t_Council

https://slideplayer.com/slide/11137005/