The values education was added as a separate subject in the Philippine education curriculum under the Values Education Framework program of the Department of Education in 1988–1990.
How far we’ve come from the establishment of this curriculum. However, it is not only the curriculum and the educators that must do the efforts to integrate and make values education holistic but it is also the role of the students to understand and further develop these skills for their own development and growth as a pillar and responsible member of society.
The current theme of the Division School’s Press Conference upholds initiatives Fostering 21st Century Skills and Character Based Education through Campus Journalism. Division Schools Superintendent Jonathan S. Dela pena vows for these initiatives to continue to exist to foster future holistic learners. Indeed, the 21st century has brought in huge diversions and changes to acquisition and dissemination of information.
A major breakthrough of the 21st century is the unlimited information access made possible by new technology. Our generation is the era where technology is the main contributor and medium to disseminate and acquire information, however, a better life does not mean being able to enjoy advance technological products. We have great scientists or engineers but if they end up creating tools that end up harming humanity, is there still a point?
We can have smart students but they may be not well equipped or exposed to skills that would make them ethical or moral citizens. 21st century education is not just about skills that enable better learning. We should not forget the skills that would make us humane. After all, despite the advance technology that we have right now and continue to invent, the world today still needs more compassionate and kind people who know how to love and respect their fellow human beings despite differences.
The Values Education curriculum has been a unique aspect of the Philippine Education curriculum. Just like in education, other countries can learn from the way our people and our future generations treasure national, cultural, or spiritual values. It does not need to become a different subject. What we should advocate is the integration of values in teaching and the other learning areas to create honest, industrious, polite, helpful and obedient and punctual citizens who inculcate in themselves and in society the value of Values Education.
