19 June 2009
Literary competence in education
Good news! The Philippine Department of Education, which oversees public or general primary and secondary education, has decided to include literary competence as a major component of its overall goal of "Functional Literacy for All." Previously, only linguistic or communicative competence (in Filipino, English, Spanish, Arabic, and other official or vernacular Philippine languages) was part of the declared goals of public education. If you know of other countries where literary competence (this term itself, not its equivalent) is explicitly mentioned as a goal of public education, please let me know so I can also mention them in this blog.
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We always had this educaton, Ani, but it was called "Reading and Writing" then.
ReplyDeleteWe still call it that in the Elementary grades here (Canada); Language and Literature in High School. Literary Theory in the University.
But I like the ring of it -- as a goal, it will be distributed throughout the years of education up to Graduate School. It should help create better writers and teachers.
Readers, as long as they like to read, will have to take advantage of the skills that would be developed from this goal. It's only theirs to gain.
A win-win situation. But first things first. Literary competence in Filipino, Filipino English, or foreign language as a secondary language? I hope you will be contribute to a lot of the brainwork involved. Otherwise, some byreaucrat will botch it again. Good-luck.--ALBERT B. CASUGA