The Philippines' educational system has lagged behind its Asian neighbors's program for higher education.
STUDENTS of this generation have
a chance to experience radical changes in the country’s educational system, one
that promises to bring it to the 21st Century.
Implemented in June 2011, the
program is known as K + 12 and is being implemented by government in a bid to
keep pace with the rest of the world in terms of education.
K plus 12, which stands for
Kindergarten plus twelve more years of basic education, aims to provide
students with sufficient time for mastery of concepts and skills, develop
lifelong learners, and prepare graduates for tertiary education, middle-level
skills development, employment, and entrepreneurship.
More efforts have to be exerted by young learners to improve in basic early education
Up until today, the Philippines
has been lagging behind other countries in Asia: Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia,
Lao PDR, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Vietnam all have 12
pre-university education and even Mongolia has joined the club recently.
Worldwide, only Angola and
Djiboutihave a 10-year pre-university cycle aside from the Philippines.
Thus, the Philippines is a
relative late-comer to the 12-year education club.
Most countries view the 10-year
education cycle as inadequate.
As a
result, graduates from the Philippines are required in some countries to
undergo additional courses and pass new examinations in order for their academic
credentials to be recognized or be admitted into their chosen professions.
As envisioned, the “K to
12”education program will not only allow students more time to acquire mastery
of basic
competencies. It is also designed to produce students who will be more
emotionally mature by the time they graduate, and be adequately prepared for
the word of work or entrepreneurship or higher education.
They should also be employable and globally
competitive.
The K to 12 system will raise the standards of our education, thus meeting the requirements of international education system and employment.
According to DepEd Undersecretary
Yolanda S. Quijano, ED.D., “Every graduate of the Enhanced K to 12 Basic
Education program is an empowered individual who has learned, through a program
that is rooted on sound educational principles and geared towards excellence,
the foundations for learning throughout life, the competence to engage in work and
be productive, the ability to coexist in fruitful harmony with local and global
communities, the capability to engage in autonomous critical thinking, and the
capacity to transform others and one ’s self.”
On the other hand, given the many
and serious problems besetting the educational system, implementation of the
program is not expected to be all smooth sailing.
Not exactly new
The problem of establishing an
educational system that is suited to the needs of the country is one of the
most studied.
Beginning with the Monroe
Survey (1925), Prosser Survey (1930), and the UNESCO Mission Survey (1949), a
longer duration of the education cycle has been a common theme.
The Presidential Commission to
Survey Philippine Education (PCSPE) conducted in 1970,recommended that high
priority be given to the implementation of an 11 – year program – 6 years of
compulsory elementary education and 5 years of secondary education.
It also recommended that “high
priority be given to the provision of technical and vocational education and
retraining programs in order to meet current and projected needs for trained
manpower in a developing society.”
Given all these studies, it is
apparent that a major reform of the educational system has long been overdue.
Indeed, available data suggests
that the ten year cycle has not worked for the Filipino student.
Academic programs meant to be completed in
12 years have been crammed into ten, resulting in poor competencies and
graduates that are not mature enough and legally employable.
It is in this view that the
Aquino Administration is pressing on with the enhanced program.
Phased implementation
Under a phased implementation
which includes institutionalized public kindergarten program for 5-year-olds,
the Department of Education (DepEd) introduced a new curriculum for Grade 1 and
1st year high school when the school year opened in June this year.
The Grade 1 enrollees for the school year
2012-2013 are the first batch to fully undergo the program, and the current
First Year Junior High School students will be the beneficiaries of the full
program for secondary students which will now include two years of senior high
school.
Under R.A. 10157 or the
“Kindergarten Education Act” approved January 2012 with Implementing Rules and
Regulations (DepED Order No. 32, s. 2012), kinder, a one-year preparatory
education for children at least five years old, will be made compulsory for all
grade 1 students.
At this level, students are
slowly introduced to the formal learning environment and are taught the
alphabet, numbers, shapes, and colors through games, songs, and dances, in
their Mother Tongue, which is said to be a more effective for your learners.
Grade 1 students enrolled in the
current school year are expected to be in grade 6 during SY 2017-2018, while
those enrolled in Grade 7 or First Year High School will complete (with
diplomas) junior high school in SY 2015-2016.
They are expected to be completing senior high school (Grades 11-12) by
2018, earning senior high school diplomas.
Those entering tertiary level
education (college) after this will be required to have undergone the full 12
years of basic education.
Starting Grade 1, English and
Filipino are taught as subjects aside from the Mother Tongue, focusing on oral
fluency.
From Grade 4 to 6, English and
Filipino are introduced as languages of instruction.
Learning progression is spiral,
with subjects being taught some simple to more complicated concepts throughout
the grade levels.
Subjects like Biology
and Chemistry are integrated from Grades 7 to 10.
Senior High School focuses on
preparing the student for the future – integrating all that has been learned so
far so that the student becomes more prepared for life.
Here, curriculum content depends on the
career paths the students will take.
The three tracks include:
Academic; Technical-Vocational-Livelihood; and Sports and Arts.
The Academic
track includes three strands: Business, Accountancy, Management (BAM);
Humanities, Education, Social Sciences (HESS); and Science, Technology,
Engineering, Mathematics (STEM).
Students undergo immersion, which may include earn-while-you-learn
opportunities, to provide them relevant exposure and actual experience in their
chosen track.
After graduation, those
who opt for the tech-voc-livelihood track can earn certification from TESDA
which can qualify them for employment, provided they pass assessment.
On the other hand, those who choose to
continue on to college will find that their stay in college will be shorter
than before with the revised General Education Curriculum that will be used.
Challenges
Transitioning from the existing
system is expected to be challenging and stakeholder participation is critical
for the program to succeed.
To facilitate the transition from
the existing 10-year basic education to 12 years, DepEd is also implementing
the SHS and SHS Modeling.
Transition for Private Schools Private schools craft
their transition plans based on: (1) current/previous entry ages for Grade 1
and final year of Kinder, (2) duration of program, and most importantly, (3)
content of curriculum offered.
The government may not need to
meet the full cost of the program until 2016, but it will have to address
existing gaps including problems in budget, adequacy of teaching resources,
classrooms and many others.
The
President, on the other hand, has assured that resource gaps will be addressed
within two years and has ordered the Department of Education to work hard in
order to meet the requirements.
According to the Official Gazette
of the Office of the President, the estimated total funding requirement to
procure all needed resources is P150 billion which will cover 152,569 new
classrooms, 103,599 more teachers, 95.6 million more books and 13.2 million
seats.
The program is intended to shift
the focus on high school as simply preparation for college. With the rising costs of college education,
there has been a steady reduction in the number of college graduates.
K plus 12 aims to produce
graduates who have employable skills even if they do not enroll in regular
college courses.
On the other hand, private sector
educators fear that the situation may result in the displacement of college
instructors as students by this time will have to finish high school before
being allowed to enroll in college.
Private higher learning institutions will also be affected as low
enrolment in college freshman levels is expected within the first couple of
years when students begin taking up senior high school in 2016.
To meet these challenges, and
many others like these, transition mechanisms are being crafted and managed in
consultation with the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), Technical
Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) and other critical
stakeholders.
Effective partnerships should be
brought into full play to minimize shortfalls and to meet needs that shall
arise as a result of the program.
For instance, to deal with the
new requirements for accommodating Senior High School students, the program
will be implemented in partnership with CHED, TESDA, and private schools.
Private schools may be asked to provide the
facilities for the new entrants to senior high, especially for the transition
years.
The government will also build new Senior High Schools where teachers
from the private sector may also teach under certain arrangements.
Strong political will, manifested
in a clear willingness to put behind the program sufficient public resources,
isimperative to address the gaps in the educational system in the face of a
growing population, changing political and economic landscapes, and the demands
of a global economy.
Local government units are also
being called to help strengthen the program by putting in the necessary
infrastructure that will enhance access to education and in providing other
support mechanisms that will further the country’s education goals.
Teachers, as well as the entire academic
community have to adopt to the changes, armed with the required skills and
knowledge, and a mindset that is modern, alert and responsive.
The K plus 12-enhanced basic
education program is a massive undertaking that promises to bring the country’s
educational system to the 21st century.
Education, as a movement from
darkness to light, requires the cooperation of all sectors of society. To fail to move forward in bringing quality
education to the youth is to fail to prepare for the future. - Bicol Mail
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