The Schools Division of Antique of the Department of Education (DepEd) recorded around 36,991 learners in Kindergarten and Grades 1, 4 and 7 participating in the initial implementation of the Matatag curriculum.

“The Matatag curriculum is being implemented on a transition beginning with Kinder and Grades 1, 4, 7,” DepEd Antique Chief Education Supervisor of the Curriculum and Teaching Division, Dr. Edward Baña, said on Monday.

They consisted of 6,493 learners in Kindergarten, 8,007 for Grade 1, some 9,623 for Grade 4, and 12,868 for Grade 7.

Baña, in an interview, said the Matatag curriculum aimed to improve the quality of basic education in the country.

He said that in the curriculum, Good Manners and Right Conduct (GMRC) is integrated as a subject to develop Filipino values aside from their learning competencies such as numeracy, reading, and literacy.

In a separate interview, DepEd Sibalom South District Supervisor Dr. Demar Cahilig said the previous Edukasyon sa Pagpapakatao (ESP) subject in the elementary grade is strengthened under the GMRC subject to include even peace education.

Meanwhile, simultaneous with the opening of classes, the local government unit (LGU) of Sibalom turned over a unit of school building composed of two classrooms to Fornier Elementary School and another unit with two classrooms at the Alangan Bongsod Cubay Elementary School.

“Sibalom Mayor Gian Carlo Occeña led the turnover of the two school buildings with a total amount of PHP10 million,” Cahilig said.

Around 142,000 learners reported for their first day of class in the 537 public schools in the province. (PNA)