DUMAGUETE City -- A total of 46 elementary schools in Negros Oriental have been chosen as pilot schools in the implementation of the Mother Tongue-Based Multilingual Education (MTB-MLE) program.

The MTB-MLE aims to improve reading, comprehension and learning skills of the pupils.
According to Dr. Catalina Credo, Education Program supervisor, the MTB-MLE program uses the first language of the child or mother tongue.

The program was first tested in three pilot elementary schools in the province -- Lutuban Elementary School in Zamboanguita, Lomintok Elementary Schoolin Ayungon and Sibulan Central Elementary School in Sibulan, Negros Oriental.

Dr. Credo said the pupils’ performance showed positive improvement although there are other factors like the free noon meal feeding program.

Recently, Negros Oriental Schools Division Superintendent Dr. Milagros Velez ordered to increase the number of pilot schools from three to 46.

At least two schools for every school district will be included among the pilot schools under the MTB-MLE program.

Negros Oriental Division has a total of 23 school districts.

Credo is very optimistic that the program will become successful.

The success of the program will still depends on the creativity and skills of the teacher to make the lesson more fun that can interact with the pupils.

A group of MTB-MLE teachers have undergone an extensive training related to the said program at the University of the Philippines in Manila.

The teachers of the additional 46 pilot elementary school in Negros Oriental will also undergo another set of training on MTB-MLE at the Department of Education (DepEd) Division Office in Dumaguete.

The DepEd will continue training teachers in the mother tongue-based multilingual education so that teachers will acquire a clearer understanding of the principles, practices, roles and responsibilities needed for the successful implementation of mother tongue-based multilingual education.

Based on studies conducted, children learn best when instruction at the primary level is in their first language, or mother tongue.