K – 12 is a major education reform program that extends basic education curriculum from 10-12 years to better prepare students for the world of work, higher education and global employment. K – 12 starts with kindergarten, which is mandatory for all five-year-old in public school. This will be followed by six years of elementary school, four years of Junior or Regular High School, and two years of Senior High School where students will be given various career/livelihood tracks for their mastery. (DepEd press release, 2011)

Philippines was one of the three countries and the only one in Asia that had 10 years in basic education. It’s pretty obvious that Philippines is far left behind among the other countries. From the time the K to 12 has started, there are still questions remained unanswered.

KEY 1: Are we really ready for K to 12?

Philippines is on the fifth year of the

Implementation of the K to 12 Program. When it comes to classrooms, DepEd has built 66,813 classrooms from 2010-2013

and there are 33,608 classrooms completed and undergoing construction in 2014. However, are teachers ready for this? From 2010-2014, DepEd has filled 128,105 new teacher items. DepEd will hire 37,000 teachers for Senior High School and targeting two kind of teachers: the ones who will teach the core subjects and the ones who will teach the specialized subjects per track. How about the textbooks and other learning materials? Textbooks are now being produced for both elementary and Junior High School while the materials needed for Senior High School are now being bid out. Is K-12 inclusive? Yes it is, K to 12 curriculum is standard-and-competence-based. This program is open to everybody especially to the needs of the learners and community. 

KEY 2: How will K to 12 affect the college curriculum?

 

        The subjects that have been taken up in Basic Education Curriculum will be removed from the College General Education Curriculum. Thus, this will have fewer units. DepEd makes it sure to be always transparent in the planning and implementation of K to 12.

KEY 3: How will Senior High School affect teachers? Will they lose job?

        K to 12 will not be the cause of losing job. The High School teachers will only be displaced. This will only happen if Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) will not put up their own Senior High Schools, which is DepEd currently processing over 1,000 SHS applications from private institutions. DepEd assures to prioritize the affected faculty who will apply as teachers or maybe administrators in Senior High School.

KEY 4: Why not just realign the K to 12 budget to increase teachers’ salaries?

          First and foremost, K to 12 is not a single project with a line item budget. The basic inputs such as classrooms, textbooks, chairs, teacher items, toilets, teacher training, and other equipment and materials are items included in the budget. And the discussion regarding the raise in the salary of public and private school teachers was finally approved.

          Learners, Teachers, Parents and Community may not be ready for the K to 12 Program. However, DepEd officials are trying to deliver and offer the best quality education. Moreover, K to 12 Program may lead to desirable benefits especially to students who would have more time to master concepts. Change is not so easy, it takes time to make it perfect. What people can do is to wait, support and adopt because nobody wants the education to be

 

By: Hannaelei B. Bracia | T-I | General Lim Elementary School