DepEd Order 21 s. 2023, signed by Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte, states that
schools “shall ensure that school grounds, classrooms and all its walls, and other school facilities are
clean and free from unnecessary artwork, decorations, tarpaulin, and posters at all times.”
While I understand that the goal of the DO is to simplify everything and to keep the schools functional
and orderly, I believe that these (artwork, decorations, tarpaulin, and posters) are still necessary. My
stand on the matter is as follows;
1. Classroom displays create an environment that is conducive to learning and create a
structured classroom.
Tang, Hall, & Chen (2017) conducted a study on the impact of classroom displays. Does
classroom display help first graders to transfer phonics skills from classroom to home? An experimental
study. This study investigated the role of classroom displays, including decorations, in supporting the
transfer of phonics skills from the classroom to home. It found that well-designed classroom displays
could reinforce learning and promote the transfer of skills. This result supports the idea that these
things' purpose is not just to beautify the physical set-up or environment but to aid learning. Students
learn better if words are supported by visuals and tangible examples (Akpan, Sunday and Umoh, 2015.)
2. Classroom displays create a welcoming and child-friendly atmosphere.
The research of Lippi (2016) focused on the impact of classroom aesthetics, including
decorations, on student behavior and learning. The study found that a visually appealing and organized
classroom environment positively influenced student behavior and engagement. Thus, students learn
better if they are situated in a familiar and relatable environment. Also, the removal of the displays does
not support the main goal of BE 2023 which is to provide a child-friendly learning environment, as stated
in the released article by DepEd
Theme: “Bayanihan Para sa Matatag na Paaralan,” this year’s BE underscored the country’s
volunteer initiatives to ensure a clean, safe, inclusive, and child-friendly learning environment for
learners and teaching and non-teaching personnel, and strengthen resiliency of schools and basic
education.
3. Classroom displays are no distraction, rather, they aid learning.
A study by Barrett, Zhang, Davies, & Barrett. (2015) on the impact of classroom design on pupils'
learning: Final results of a holistic, multi-level analysis was conducted. This study explored the impact of
classroom design, including decorations, on students' learning outcomes. It found that classroom
environments with displays and decorations that were relevant to the subject matter and curriculum
positively influenced student performance and engagement. The result of the study contradicted the
post released by VP Sarah Duterte in which she stated that the mandate to remove classroom displays is
to avoid distractions.
"Tiyaking malinis at walang mga dekorasyon, tarpaulin o mga posters ang mga silid-aralan
upang magkaroon ng focus ang ating mga mag-aaral sa mga leksyon mula sa ating mga guro," Duterte
said on a Facebook post, citing guidelines from DepEd (Department of Education) Order No. 21, Series of
2023.
The practice of utilizing posters, artworks, and decorations that are relevant to the learning instructions
for children has been proven effective. These trivial changes in the guidelines of Brigada Eskwela do not
necessarily contribute to the overall development of our children, rather, these create probabilities of
hindrances in the effective operations of academic institutions.