As the K to 12 program is about to reach its fullest extent, where the first batch of Grade 12 will commence June this year, the coming school year, the new system is still barely coping with its shortcomings – in which the countermeasures that will be undertaken by the Department of Education (DepEd) to address these shortcomings will be pivotal to the full implementation of the system. This criticality will also transcend to the future economic stratum that our country will be finding itself to be into, for the youth educated under the banner of this new system will be the future contributors of the Philippine economy and society. Therefore, the performance of the full implementation of K to 12 is a major determinant of the future of the Philippines. Ripples are made when we touch the water.
Education secretary Leonor Briones affirmed that DepEd is facing the challenge of finishing of school buildings intended for Grade 12 [students], and also the furniture because these are the most basic needs. However, she expressed that these challenges will be addressed before the start of the coming school year and showed optimism that the enrolment for Grade 12 will be at its height. Included in the preparation is the repair of school buildings and other facilities in areas that have been ravaged by natural disasters such as typhoons. Briones added that the curriculum for Grade 12 is ready. DepEd undersecretary for curriculum and instruction Dina Ocampo said that the curriculum for Grade 12 was finished on 2013, and the current planning is for the year 2018 – which includes determining the required quantities of teachers, classrooms, facilities, materials, etc.
Briones emphasized the role of K to 12 in preparing the Filipino students for the future of their own country, stressing that the system was implemented not just to catch up with other countries’ education systems, not just to comply with the demand of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), but also for the betterment of every Filipino – by leading the youth to excellence and productivity in the changing world.
It is undeniable that DepEd is well-aware of the importance of education in shaping the future of the country as a whole through leading the youth to excellence. Hence, it should be the leading force in encouraging every Filipino youth in instilling the need for education and the opportunities it offers. It should not just facilitate the implementation of the K to 12 program well, but also to take part in shifting the societal stratum into light, and it can be done by the government giving paramount attention to the education sector in budgeting, planning and implementation. Also, we, the people, need to cooperate with DepEd in shifting the current stratum, thus, making nation-building through education a two-way process. Together, we can make the ripples large enough to move the water – to make a change in our nation, to pave the way for the best possible future through education.
By: Joyner KerseyS. Bagtas
