Senator Aquino hails law scrapping mandatory spiral progression in K-1

Senator Bam Aquino on Friday welcomed the enactment of Republic Act No. 12322, a new law granting the Department of Education (DepEd) greater flexibility in choosing instruction methods for the K to 12 curriculum—a move expected to address persistent challenges in the country’s basic education system.

The measure, which officially lapsed into law on August 2, removes the mandatory mandate to use the spiral progression approach. It amends Section 5 of Republic Act No. 10533, or the Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013.

Aquino, who serves as chairperson of the Senate Committee on Basic Education, principally sponsored and co-authored the bill.

“Sa batas na ito, aalisin na ang spiral progression para mabigyan ang DepEd ng kalayaang piliin ang pinakamabisang paraan ng pagtuturo para sa ating mga estudyante,” Aquino said. “Ito’y isang mahalagang hakbang tungo sa pagresolba ng education crisis at makatutulong para mapataas ang proficiency at literacy sa ating mga paaralan.”

Under RA 12322, DepEd is now authorized to determine which pedagogical frameworks best serve students, with the chosen approaches subject to periodic review and assessment.

Aquino emphasized that the shift aims to ensure students gain sufficient mastery of core concepts before advancing to higher grade levels.

The reform stems from widespread feedback from educators and education experts.

During Senate consultations, teachers voiced significant difficulties with the mandatory spiral progression model, noting that requiring them to cover multiple disciplines within a single subject hindered effective classroom instruction.

Findings from the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2) echoed these concerns. In its Year One Report, EDCOM 2 highlighted major operational hurdles in the spiral framework, particularly in Science and Mathematics.

The report noted that forcing teachers to cover broad, multi-disciplinary topics rather than focus on their specific areas of expertise led to congested curricula and compromised students' foundational learning.

With RA 12322 now in place, Aquino expressed optimism that DepEd can implement tailored, effective teaching methodologies that directly respond to the needs of Filipino learners.

This marks Aquino’s second enacted education reform in the 20th Congress, following Republic Act No. 12321, or the Last Mile and Geographically Isolated and Disadvantaged Areas (GIDA) Schools Act.

-Paraluman News