Basic education-literacy, numeracy and makabayan?

Dear Mouse, My former mentor and boss was an educator by avocation and an engineer by vocation. In both fields he was a builder---character and edifices. He earned his wealth from the construction industry and his psychic income from the academe. If he were alive, he would nag me for not expressing my opinion on issue that is dear to his heart---integration of moral values in the curriculum. The revision of the curriculum could have made him happy. He can not tolerate to see teachers requiring students to memorize dates and events in History and stretching the number of hours of a subject that did not even require one school year to cover the course syllabus. He did not like me sitting quietly in the corner of the room, enjoying my late late lunch while he talked incessantly about values integration in the curriculum and in the advertisement whether in print or media. He would have raised a howl for that wine ad that was considered by many as offensive. He liked me to make "patol" to him by responding to his thoughts. This way he knew that it was not only him who was thinking and talking. Someone was listening to him too and responding. Sus, ginoo... sarap ng burger. I made him wait. I preferred to be labeled harebrained than to develop ulcer. He would give me his dagger look. If there is anything wrong with the Basic Education Curriculum (BEC)2002 , it is the use of the word Makabayan. The word which means nationalistic is not at all the proper word to describe fifth learning area that addresses the moral values formation and heritage appreciation of the school children who will become the future leaders of the country. There is also nothing wrong with the Science subject being taught in Grade 3. Singapore?s curriculum has Science subject in Primary 3 too. This country tops in Science and Math exams. It may be true that the Science and Math are the basis of subsequent studies of the many professions and branches of the physical and life sciences, but it is equally true that there is a need to put heavy emphasis on developing the basic values and attitudes that allow character formation enabling the young to grow up as good persons and good citizens. As stated in the BEC summary, 1. Makabayan will be a "laboratory of life" or a practice environment for holistic learning to develop a healthy personal and national self-identity. This requires an adequate understanding of Philippine history and our politico-economic system, local cultures, crafts, arts, music and games. 2. Makabayan entails the use of integrated units of learning tasks which will enable the learner to personally process, assimilate, and systematically practice a wide range of values and life skills including work skills and a work ethic. 3. Each of the 5 learning areas addresses both the individual and social needs of the learners. Makabayan, however, will be the learning area that lays the most stress on the development of social awareness, empathy, and a firm commitment to the common good. Except for integration of some courses and eliminating redundant subjects, the BEC did not do much damage to the Science components of the curriculum. The basic foundation is still the same, language (English and Pilipino) science and math. There is no shortage of ideas as to what more to include in the curriculum. But there will never be no enough hours and years to teach everything. The reduction of hours serve as a challenge to the teachers to incorporate what really need to be taught. The values and attitudes help the students to harness and manage change as the world changes every minute of the day when technology innovation is introduced in the market, when country?s governance is being watched not only by other countries' leaders but also of financial institutions and investors and when world economies are in crises. Excuse me, while I grab a subway sandwich. Serious topics make me hungry. The CA t