When the bill of implementing the K-12 was proposed particularly the Senior High School, I personally favored the bill and hoped it would be a REALITY. Why? I was too optimistic that the addition of two years would give much time to our students to reinforce and strengthen their weaknesses in academics especially in English., Math,  Science, and Technology

Here came June 13, 2016, the initial implementation of two year Senior High School. The newly hired teachers and that included me were so apprehensive of what was going to happen. It is the pioneering year and everything seemed uncertain form the curriculum guides which came late and the books that were not completely printed and distributed. I was given two subjects: Oral Communications and Komunikasyon at PananaliksiksaWika at Kulturang Pilipino. The second subject was new to me since I am an English major and my first time to teach Filipino subject without a book, just a curriculum guide. For the first three months, I was in quandary and often groping in the dark. I would not feel this way if the internet connections in our place are strong but it is not.

The curriculum guides were outcome based, targeting the skills that would be needed by the students once they have graduated. Teachers who were hired were so impressive teaching the skills for the first time. Students were provided a variety of activities based on the curriculum guides that challenged the multi-intelligent senior high school studes, the 21ist century learners.

But there were loop holes in the carrying out these activities. Students got too much focused on the culminating activities.  Much was expected from them and they had to prepare to present the best performances required of them. Another burden that added to their pressures was the incurred expenses for their costumes and other props.The culminating activities for each subjects sprouted like mushrooms. This snatched their time intended for academic subjects for they had to be excused from other subjects such as English, Math and others. As a result, the   academic teachers lacked the time for implementation of the competencies in the curriculum guides. Worst was, the students did not get the proper focus on some of the lessons in other subjects. In my opinion, the addition of two years in high school is to provide more time to students to learn the academic tasks that will benefit them in college. If within two years, they did more on acting, dancing and other presentations, the implementation of two year senior high school would be a waste. The students lack academic skills not the extra- curricular skills. This is understandable for students who are on the vocational strands but for those in the STEM, HUMSS and ABM, activities related to their chosen strands must be prioritized.

For ten months that we spent in pioneering the Senior High School,we could be undeniably considered the activities too exhausting for the students and even consumed the time intended for academics. Admit it or not, students’ mastery of more important academic tasks was not achieved.

Well, we are just beginning and everything is just getting on the way. We are still having trial and errors and perhaps the next school year would be more organized, lesser overlapping activities that drained students’ interests and snatched their sense of priorities.Activities that are related to the subjects but would not consume too much time and efforts could be planned through an action plan with due considerations on time frames that it might not affect other academic subjects.

.Let’s keep improving teachers, for the sake of our students, the hope of our nation.

 

By: Loida B.Parulan | Senior High School Department | BNHS, Roman Superhighway, Balanga City