MTB-MLE: EDUCATIONAL UPGRADE OR DOWNGRADE

Pursuant to Deped Order No. 74 series of 2009 dated July 14, 2009 stated and mandated the use of MTB-MLE (Mother Tongue-Based-Multilingual Education) as medium of instructions starting all kindergarten in year 2011 spreading wide the country.

We should commend DepEd for such an initiative. While the issue on the use of mother tongue for instruction in schools is not new and some oppose it particularly on the ground of its so-called negative effect on the English language proficiency of our students. The DepEd needs all the help it can get. Higher education institutions must do their share by offering quality MTB-MLE pre-service and in-service training to current and future teachers.

The implementation of the program is clearly better than continuing with the status quo which proved to result in a quality of education that is far from what we desire. Like what Ornolfor Thorsson, adviser to the President of Iceland, stressed "Without our language, we have no culture, we have no identity, we are nothing."

The MTB-MLE is designed to address the disconnection between the languages used at home and at school by adopting the mother tongue for instruction as studies show that such language is most effective for students’ comprehension and learning. The program is intended for students of preschool up to Grade 3.

MTB-MLE is more than just language. It is not only changing the medium of instruction or translating the second language into the first language or reprinting textbooks for the implementation. It is also on cultural upliftment and historical awareness. 

What and how will the MTB-MLE implementation contribute to the present Philippine education situation? Varied approaches and strategies are directly proportional to varied languages, schools and learning communities in the country. These strategies are guided by common and sound foundational principles of teaching and learning. Teachers will be motivated and have chances to show pure creativity and resourcefulness in delivering their lessons. They can see clearly its would-be flaws for they are knowledgeable about the developmental stages of learning and their consequent applications to teaching.

In other words, MTB-MLE does not promise a pre-packaged, one-size-fits-all quick fix to the present crisis in Philippine basic education. The concerted push for MTB-MLE is clearly gaining momentum. However, at this two-week training, participants were also warned about moving too fast. To be sure, mother tongue based multilingual education is the way to go to ensure the long-term success of basic education reform. But as an important step in education reform, it must be approached with caution.