The Congress will evaluate the K to 12 Education system for its effectiveness according to Speaker Alan Cayetano.
“We in the House are of the consensus that K-12 is not living up to its promise, which is, after you finish senior high school, you don’t have to go to college. You gain skills to be employed,” Cayetano said.
He said that the 12-year basic program gives senior high school students the choice to take vocational and technical subjects that would prepare them for their future careers. However, he added, many schools still lack equipment such as for automotive, electrical, or sports. Thus, a lot of issues still need to be resolved.
In recent years, the Department of Education (DepEd) has been granted large increases in its annual budget to fund the K-12 curriculum. The said education program has started implementation since school year 2012-2013.
However, non-profit organization Philippine Business for Education (PBEd) contested that it is too early to judge the effectiveness of the additional two senior high school years.
PBEd Chairman Ramon del Rosario, Jr. said that the batch who graduated from K-12 only “took the first 10 years out of the old curriculum and just added Grades 11 and 12.” Thus, it can be said that there are still no real graduates of the new curriculum.
Del Rosario added that PBEd is prepared to participate in any assessment regarding the 12-year basic education. His Phinma group of companies invested in at least three universities Nueva Ecija, Pangasinan and Iloilo, and a college in Cagayan de Oro City.
Recently, some teachers campaigned for a thorough review and comprehensive assessment of the ‘problematic’ K to 12 curriculum, citing it was ‘demanding’ and ‘unrealistic.’ Meanwhile, some parents have expressed their dismay due to the additional expenses for their children’s education without clear proof o f the programs effectiveness.
Source: Philstar -House to review K to 12
