Kindergarten to Grade 3 classes to be taught in Filipino and English starting SY 2025-2026

Metro Manila, Philippines - Classes for Kindergarten to Grade 3 students will be taught in Filipino and English starting school year 2025-2026 in accordance with a law discontinuing the mother tongue as a medium of instruction, the Department of Education (DepEd) said.

In a department order dated July 3, the agency cited Republic Act No. 12027, which lapsed into law last year, in enforcing the policy.

“The MOI (medium of instruction) for Kindergarten to Grade 3 shall primarily be Filipino and English, including Filipino sign language for deaf and hard-of-hearing learners,” the order read.

“Regional languages shall serve as auxiliary media of instruction, using translanguaging to support the transition of all types of learners from one language to another,” it added.

DepEd said schools and community learning centers may continue mother tongue as an instruction medium if the requirements under the law are met.

The measure said the mother-tongue education may be used in monolingual classes under a number of conditions:

+ An official orthography from the Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino

+ Officially documented vocabulary such as glossary and dictionary, among others

+ Literature on languages and culture

+ Availability of teachers in school who speak or are trained to teach the mother tongue

The law previously met criticisms from several groups, saying the removal of the mother tongue for Kindergarten to Grade 3 learners is a “step backward from providing better quality education.”

In its department order, DepEd said while the implementation of mother-tongue based multilingual education yielded gains, the “broader rollout revealed limitations.”