Mother Tongue-Based Multilingual Education (MTB-MLE) Challenges: The Case in Iligan City
By: Edgar R. Eslit
1. Introduction ―There is, I think, no point in the philosophy of progressive education which is sounder than its emphasis upon the importance of the participation of the learner in the formation of the purposes which direct his activities in the learning process, just as there is no defect in traditional education greater than its failure to secure the active cooperation of the pupil in construction of the purposes involved in his studying.” John Dewey (1938). Our country witnessed the enormous educational transformation when Republic Act (RA) no. 10533, otherwise known as the ―Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013‖, was signed into law by President Benigno Aquino last May 15, 2013. One of the striking features of this law is the use of the mother tongue (MT) as one of the subjects taught in the classroom and as the primary medium of instruction (MOI). According to UNESCO (2007), MT is a language that a person: 1) has learned first; 2) ascertains with or is recognized as a native speaker of by others; 3) recognizes best; and 4) practices most. The Mother Tongue Based Multilingual Education (MTB-MLE) program is more than just using MT as the language of instruction when elucidating the curriculum but also conducting research and evidence-based policies, adequate teaching and learning materials, and thorough teachers‘ training which are now continuously conducted by the Department of Education (DepEd) in Iligan. This changing language policy in education is part of a rising movement around the world to support mother tongue instruction in the early years of a child‗s education. In Asia, this is apparent in a growing number of educational programs that use the mother tongue approach.
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