DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION 1

FREQUENTLY ASKED
QUESTIONS (FAQs)
ON
INDIGENOUS PEOPLES
EDUCATION (IPEd)

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION 2
• What is IPEd Program?
The Indigenous Peoples Education (IPEd)
is a DepEd program that responds to the
rights of IPs to basic education which is
appropriate to their context, respects their
identities, and promotes their indigenous
knowledge, systems, and practices, and
other aspects of their cultural heritage.

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION 3
• What are the objectives of IPEd
Program?
• The IPEd Program aims to implement
an enhanced basic education curriculum
that is culture-sensitive and responsive
to the indigenous learners and in the
indigenous communities, specifically,
this program aims to:
• Make curriculum culturally responsive to
the community context of IP learners;

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION 4
• Build the capacity of teachers, school
heads, and the concerned personnel
at different levels of governance in
implementing culture-based
education for IP learners;
• Support the development of culturally
appropriate learning resources and
learning environment responsive to
the community context of IP learners;

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION 5
• Strengthen the policy environment
supportive of IPEd; and

• Address the learning needs of IP

learners who lack access to basic
education services.

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION 6
 How is contextualized curriculum
utilized in multi-cultural schools? To
what extent is the contextualized
curriculum utilized in multi-cultural
classes?

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION 7
• When majority of the learners in multi-
cultural classes are IPs, then the
contextualized curriculum should be fully
utilized. In the case where half of the
class are IPs and the rest are non-IPs,
there is still a need to use the
contextualized curriculum so that the non-
IP learners will appreciate the IPs’ way of
life.

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION 8
• Nevertheless, the contextualized
curriculum is not used when majority
of the learners are non-IPs. The
school is given the option to initiate
measures to provide instruction that
directly engages the IP learners to
the IKSPs of the communities.

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION 9
Are we focused only on the IKSPs in
indigenization?

• No, we are mindful of the DepEd and

IP competencies. What is highlighted
is the context of the IP community as
the setting and anchorage of the
DepEd competencies.

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION 10
 Is indigenization the best
approach in the IP instruction?

• Our national education system hopes

to move towards the indigenization of
the curriculum AS APPROPRIATE to
the community.

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION 11
For IP communities where the culture is
still practiced and remembered,
indigenization is still possible. However,
when it comes to the actual teaching-
learning processes, we are supposed to
use the approach that is appropriate for the
subject matter.

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION 12
• How can a non-IP teacher effectively
teach or use the contextualized
curriculum?
• A non- IP teacher can effectively teach or
use the contextualized curriculum
provided that he/she has undergone
capacity-building

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION 13
• knows the language
• familiar with and is "living"/practicing the
culture and traditions/IKSPs of the IPs
• oriented with appropriate teaching
strategies/approaches in using the
contextualized curriculum

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION 14
• Who will capacitate the non-IP
teachers?
• In the absence of IP teachers, non-IP
teachers will be capacitated through
orientations and seminars/training. IP
elders and cultural masters will also be
tapped to assist the non-IP teachers in
the actual instruction. The approaches
and methods of instruction shall be
based on the principles of the K to 12
Enhanced Basic Education Curriculum
and with the consultation of IP elders
and cultural masters.
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION 15
• From whom can a teacher directly
seek assistance in using the
contextualized curriculum?

• The teacher can directly seek

assistance from his/her school head
or trained peers, depending on
whoever is more accessible.

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION 16
• Are teachers allowed to modify
contextualized materials based on
their knowledge and experiences?

• Yes, provided there is pre-

consultation and proper coordination
with the community elders and or
culture masters.

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION 17
• What are the roles and functions of IP
elders in the contextualization
process? How can the tribal elders
help in the contextualization process?
• The IP elders play the very crucial role in
the contextualization of the curriculum
and the instructional materials, among
these are:

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION 18
– providing the needed data and information
about the tribe;
– translating and giving the correct meaning
and pronunciation of words;
– explaining the socio-cultural activities of the
tribe in such a way that such will be better
understood; and
– validating the contextualized teaching-
learning materials

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION 19
• How can the tribal elders or cultural
masters help in the teaching process

• Teachers can enhance and deepen the

teaching-learning process with the
assistance of the tribal elders. The IP
elders, who are the culture bearers, can
provide the following:

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• first-hand information of the ICC's IKSPs;

• "hands-on" teaching-learning activities to

learners
• serve as model on various skills.

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION 21
• How do we identify the “culture
masters” in the communities who
can provide the assistance needed?

• In several tribal community

celebrations, such as holding of rituals,
tribal ceremonies and other occasions,
teachers should familiarize themselves
with the elders and other forerunners
of the activities. They are the
acclaimed tribal leaders and are at the
same time considered as culture
masters.
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION 22
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