Humanities professor and IPAG Artistic Director Prof. Dr. Steven Patrick C. Fernandez joined the team of the country’s experts in evaluating the new core curriculum for General Education. The first writeshop was held at the National Commission for Culture and the Arts complex on Feb. 19. Consultations and more writeshops continue in the next months.

The first courses evaluated are part of the 39-unit inter-disciplinary core curriculum designed by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) for Higher Education Institutions for the implementation of the K+12 program starting in 2016.

With culture as backbone, four lesson exemplars have been analyzed and will be fine-tuned for implementation in the next months. Completed syllabuses will be introduced to teachers in various writeshops and training sessions in regional centers.

Exploratory syllabuses developed by Profs. Arvin Villalon, Roselle Pineda, Tim Dacanay, and Gina Salazar were validated by National Artist Rio Alma, CCP Chairperson Emily Abrera, Dr. Orlando Magno, Dr. Ferdie Lopez, Dr. Taya Aplal, Dr. Rizalina Cruz, and Fernandez.

The initiatives are `hosted by the Philippine Cultural Education Plan (PCEP) Task Force of the NCCA under Dir. Sonny Cristobal whose main task is to oversee the cultural-and-arts oriented education directions in the country.

A primary objective of the writeshop involved teachers in Filipino as active fixtures in the new education landscape. These lessons have been effectively translated to Filipino to realize the cultural impact of these lessons using the national language.

Fernandez is also visiting professor of the Graduate Studies of the Cultural Education Program of the PCEP piloted by 15 Higher Education Institutions in the country. He is main proponent of the country’s pioneering Culture and Arts Studies Program awaiting approval by the MSU system’s curriculum body. Contributed News For OC-OPI

Topics : ipag