THERE have been at least three petitions against the K+12 educational program. The latest was by Senator Antonio Trillanes & by the Magdalo party list seeking for a temporary restraining order to stop the implementation of the Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013 (R.A 10533). The Senator cites lack of “relevance to needs of the Filipino people” and lack of consultation in his petition to declare the law unconstitutional. The petition also mentions the plight of thousands of teachers who the Senator thinks will lose jobs. The K+12 program has been with us since 2012-2013 and various arrangements & adjustments have been made since then. To date, many barangay high schools have already been accredited to provide senior high school level instructions. If some schools will not offer the grades 11-12, their junior high school students will have to go to a school which offers senior high school.
The K+12 is trying to address the issue of why our educational system is not yet able to provide jobs for everyone. There is a need for full employment. The problem is that our educational system is not contributing, as much as it should, to job generation. And because many are clamoring for a reform in education, the problem has become an issue and so the K to 12 or Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013 was passed into law.
Basic education now mandates attending kindergarten, six years of grade school and six years of high school. The 6 years high school: is 4 years junior high school and 2 years senior high school.
In short, the number of years for basic education has been increased and the curriculum enhanced. The rules for this program were developed by our Department of Education (Dep-Ed), Commission for Higher Education (Ched) and Technical Education & Skills Development Authority (Tesda).
Before the K to 12 program, our educational system was divided into basic education for ten (10) years, vocational or technical education and tertiary or university education. It was said that the last four years of our basic education is more geared towards university preparation. Less that fifty (50) per cent of those who entered grade school do not go to college. Which is why, one of the educational reforms was to bring back technical vocational education to high school. The rationale is based on the reading that half our high school graduates want to work upon graduation rather than attend university so there was a need to provide a technical-vocational education which can be an alternative to better prepare students for the world of work. The K to 12 educational program is an attempt to address this, among others. The program is designed to increase the chances of our high school graduates to be employed in areas like Agriculture, Electronics & Trade.
What are the new things and contentious issues in this new K to 12 program?
The K to 12 program introduces a mother tongue based multi-lingual education (MTB-MLE). It defines a mother language or first language of the child.
The medium of instruction for a five year old child in kindergarten, the six year old grade one to Grade 3 is the regional or native language of the pupils. This is fine, as linguists have determined that one learns more effectively in the language close to one’s heart. In Davao City, my sense is that this native language is Filipino or Tagalog or Binisaya. Beyond grade 3, the medium will be the mother language transition program or Filipino and English. In high school: both English and the mother tongue.
After this basic education program, a student may choose to proceed to university or academics, sports and arts, or a technical –vocational or livelihood track. There will be certificates of competency in fields like Agriculture, Electronics, and Trade and after a student passes the competency-based assessment of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).
Public education in the Philippines will still be subsidized by public funds after eleven (11) years as Grades 11-12 are part of compulsory basic education.
The advocacy track is to make sure that important things are made cross cutting themes in this basic curriculum development, i.e. human rights, ecology, the humanities and the arts, nationhood, community development, science and technology like information, communications and technology (ICT). Liberal education and humanities education that which liberate our minds must not be lost in our agenda of developing human resources for the world of work.
What is it in our educational system that hinders equitable economic development? Perhaps, the more incisive question is why is it that majority of our people do not have access to the wealth of our country? An educational system that addresses this is a good one.
Isabelita Solamo
Women Write – http://isabelitasolamo.blogspot.com