Espiritu, Kristoffer Ryan G. !"ores, S#an$er %ean &.

ITP.1123 TTHS 10:20-11:4 'ar(# 1, 2014

K to 12 En#an(e$ )asi( E$u(ation Pro*ra+ One of the issues that the Philippine government is still trying to solve until today is the issue on education. And so, last October 2010, President Noynoy Aquino proposed the to 12 program to catch up !ith the rest of the !orld having a 12"year basic education cycle. #he $nhanced %asic $ducation Program Act of 201&, or the to 12 Act establishes a 'universal indergarten and introduces (rades 11 and 12 to high school education in public and private schools. )*nquirer, +ay 1,, 201&- #he to 12 program covers .indergarten and 12 years %asic $ducation !ith si/ years of primary education, four years in 0unior high school )(rade 1 to 10- and t!o years in senior high school )(rade 11 and 12- to provide mastery of concepts and s.ills and prepare students for tertiary education.

2niversal indergarten began in 34 201152012. (rade 1 entrants in 34 20125 201& are the first batch to fully undergo the program, and current 1st year 0unior 6igh 3chool students )or (rade 1- are the first to undergo the enhanced secondary education program. (rade 11 !ill be introduced in 34 201,52011 and (rade 12 in 34 201152017. #he first batch of high school students to go through to 12 !ill graduate in +arch 2017. to 12 is designed to produce graduates both in the field of !or. and tertiary education. #he implementation of the " 12 education plan in the Philippine %asic $ducation 8urriculum is the .ey to our nation9s development. #hough the government !ill face many problems in the long run of the implementation of the program, li.e the budget that !ill be used for the program, there really is a need to implement it because the enhancement of the quality of our education is very urgent and critical. :ran.ly, President Aquino has good reasons on proposing this program as the additional years can help as a preparation for the ne/t chapter of a student9s life; college. *n fact, it is also a good !ay to strengthen the educational system in the country. 6o!ever, the cons are more than the pros. #he program is not yet the immediate solution to the current problem the country has on education. And so * stand firm that there are still other issues on education that the Aquino regime needs to ta.e into consideration.

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,ationa", %o(a" an$ Professiona" Issues on K to 12 #he issues on the ne! curriculum aroused out of misconception<misunderstood. People say that the additional years in high school !ill add burden to parents in sending their children in high school. #he additional year !ill prolong their agony in sending their children in school. *t !as not understood by many that9s !hy at first it !as opposed especially those !ho are less fortunate. *n a professional level, many issues !ere raised, one of !hich !ere; is the government prepared to supply boo.s, references, and other materials to help learners and teachers cope up !ith every lesson, are the teachers prepared for the ne! curriculum and ne! approach in teaching. Are the schools fully equipped to cater to the demands of the ne! curriculum !ere also raised as one of the issues in the implementing of the ne! curriculum. And most specially, is the #echnology teachers !ell trained to teach #=$ )#echnology =ivelihood $ducation-, s.ills related sub>ects? *t is also undeniable that !hile implementing the program problems also arises such as lac. of government funds<budget, classrooms, school supplies as !ell as teachers !ho are equipped !ith the .no!ledge and s.ills to cater to the needs and demands of the ne! curriculum since the last 2 years in senior high demands mastery. Another issue is that, if the ."12 aims to produce graduates that are fit to !or. abroad, and then the program simply trains !or.ers for other countries to prosper instead of them !or.ing in their o!n country.

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'a-or perspe(ti.es on t#e issue Private schools across the country are coming to grips !ith the nuances of the @epartment of $ducationAs "12 %asic $ducation Program and its implementation this coming school year. Bhile most schools have long been preparing for this, some are still in a quandary, especially on the initial steps of managing the transition in terms of curriculum, budget and other resources, teaching force, clientele, and other details. 6o!ever, unli.e public schools, this sector of education does not seem to be totally immersed into this ma>or change in the Philippine $ducation 3ystem. Nevertheless, private schools are e/pected to abide to the ne! program because, accredited or other!ise, they are guided by the @ep$d curriculum. *t is reassuring to .no! that the 8atholic $ducational Association of the Philippines )8$AP-, the largest organiCation of private schools in the country, e/presses its support to the "12 Program. 3ome concerns have randomly emerged during orientation sessions on the "12 %asic $ducation Program conducted for 8$AP members and other private schools associations. #hese are related to curriculum enhancement and transition management. 8urriculum enhancement<decongestion is the central focus of the change. #he ne! curriculum is redesigned in line !ith the desired competencies and s.ills of a " 12 graduate and !ith the appropriate learning resources. @eficiencies are filled in and competencies are strengthened especially in the core areas 5 $nglish, +athematics, and 3cience. 2nclogged, this uses research"based practices, quality te/tboo.s, and other resources. #ransition management refers to the carefully sequenced implementation of the plan to ensure the smooth passage or movement from one facet of change to the other !ith the least or Cero disruption.

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Inter.ie/ee: +r. 8arlo (. $spiritu +iddle 3chool $nglish #eacher Deedley *nternational 3chool, EueCon 8ity 0#at is t#e K-12 pro*ra+1 DepEd's much vaunted K-12 curriculum is seen as the country's response to the challenge of creating an educational system that adheres to international standards and produces graduates who can compete in the global scene. ith this program! students will have to undergo 12 years of basic education instead of the usual 1"! in addition to the now mandatory #indergarten! with $ years in elementary! % years in &unior high school '()*+! and 2 years in senior high school '*)*+., 0#at are t#e a$.anta*es of K-121 -he inclusion of Kindergarten into the system allows children to easily adapt to formal education by being provided with basic concepts and s#ills taught in their .other -ongue. ith this preparation! students entering /rade 1 are e0pected to have the foundation they need to learn more comple0 topics as they progress through the years. *imilarly! *enior )igh *chool '/rades 11-12+ provides an avenue for students to be e1uipped with s#ills necessary for tertiary education through the 2ore 2urriculum! which is essentially the same as the /eneral Education sub&ects currently offered in the first two years of college. 3ntegrating these sub&ects into basic education also opens up an opportunity for the less privileged to gain access to the same set of #nowledge that! under the previous educational system! could only be achieved by getting into college. 4pon finishing /rade 12! students are e0pected to have the competencies that would allow them to be employed in the fields of agriculture and trade! among others. -he K-12 system is widely used by countries around the world! ma#ing students who have gone through the said program more li#ely to secure a &ob than those who have not. -he new system is also seen to attract more international students as our curriculum is now aligned with theirs., )ut /#at are its $isa$.anta*es1 -he transition between the old curriculums to the new one can be 1uite challenging for sta#eholders! that is! the school administrators! teachers! parents! and students. *uch a drastic change in the system re1uires long-term preparation and solid implementation. 5s of yet! it is fair to say that a large number of teachers in the country have not been fully prepared for the program! which may have an impact on the overall 1uality received by the students. -he added two years in basic education will also cause a low turnout of enrollees in colleges and universities for school year 2"1$-2"16. 2urrent high schools that will open up the senior high school department might lac# facilities and teachers to cater to the students. -his has led the Department of Education to allow the employment of non-license holders in high school! provided that they obtain one within the ne0t five years.,

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So /#at is t#e i+pa(t of t#e ne/ pro*ra+ to stu$ents1 -he disadvantages of implementing the curriculum are real and urgent. *tudents need to ad&ust to the new curriculum and have to condition themselves in spending a longer time in school. *)* is relatively new so its efficiency is yet to be determined! and this is one ris# which may have dire conse1uences. )owever! the advantages of the program far outweigh its negatives. 3n the long run! students are being honed to be on par with the rest of the world in terms of academic e0cellence. 7y aligning our system with global benchmar#s! students are given the opportunity to be recogni8ed as professionals abroad! thereby lessening the unnecessary e0penses of having to obtain other degrees in the countries where they wish to wor#. *tudents will also be more well-informed of the course offerings in college as they will be given trac#s, to follow in *)*! determined through aptitude and career placement tests to identify the field where they will e0cel the most. -here are critics who say the government should improve the 1uality of education instead of the number of school years. -hough this argument may be true! the long-term effects of the program are not to be overloo#ed. *till in its infancy! the K-12 curriculum holds the promise of producing graduates that are better prepared for the labor force and more li#ely to thrive in the international community., R#etori(a" 2na"ysis on 'r. &ar"o Espiritu3s Perspe(ti.e +r. 8arlo $spiritu sees the ."12 program to have more advantages than disadvantages. 6e is positive that the ne! curriculum is !ill greatly benefit our country in the long run. #he ne! curriculum seems to be struggling in its first t!o years but the long term effect of the curriculum !ill be seen after the first batch that !ill finish the program. #he efficiency of the program itself !ill determine our nation9s future !ith the help of the government9s initiative to improve the quality of education. 6e mentioned that !ith this program, students !ill be more a!are on !hat courses are offered in college and they can easily choose one that suits their capabilities. #his program in some term solves the problem of the @epartment of $ducation in mismatched >obs in the industry. #he field of !or. requires many s.ills that universities and colleges canAt cater. #he need to match the demands of the industry must be addressed to universities and colleges to eradicate unemployment of the educated ones. AnalyCing his statement about the long"term effects of the program, * thin. he has a point, the added years give the students more training grounds to better prepare themselves in becoming responsible professionals someday. #he additional years in 363 !ill give or equip our students the s.ills that !ill meet the demands of the industry here and outside the country. #he vocational program for those !ho chooses to enhance their s.ills !ill open opportunities for them to !or. right after finishing the program. After finishing the program students !ill be at the right age to !or. and be hired immediately !ithout any hesitations because of their age. +r. $spirituAs concern on the preparation of the schools that !ill be catering the 363 is indeed a problem that the government should be addressing. A school !ithout a complete facility and !ell trained teachers is a problem the government should ta.e seriously because the program is opts in producing competent graduates !ho can compete !ith other graduates from all over the !orld. #he issue on the preparedness of the teachers is no! been improving or has been solved because the @epartment of $ducation has conducted a +ass #raining for teachers. #he training has been conducted for 2 years no!. An e/ample of a memorandum is attached to sho! that the mass training for teachers !as being

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implemented nation!ide to prepare our educators in the ne! curriculum and cater the needs and demands of the program. S(reens#ots of t#e inter.ie/.

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Sa+p"e 'e+oran$u+ of 'ass Trainin* for K to 12 Tea(#ers

2rti("e a4out K to 12

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+AN*=A, PhilippinesFPresident Aquino is e/pected to sign into la! on Bednesday the $nhanced %asic $ducation Act of 201& that officially mandates indergarten and a 12"year basic education curriculum in the country at par !ith international standards, $ducation 3ecretary Armin =uistro announced #uesday. #he President !ill sign !hat is other!ise .no!n as the ' to 12G ) indergarten to (rade 12- la! three months since the bill mandating this educational reform !as passed by 8ongress, said =uistro as he faced reporters at the end of @ep$d9s election monitoring. #he 3enate and the 6ouse of Depresentatives reconciled its respective versions and approved the bicameral version of the to 12 bill during its session on :ebruary ,, >ust before it !ent on recess to give !ay to the election campaign. %ut despite being a priority measure, the to 12 bill !as not immediately signed into la!. *nsiders in the @epartment of $ducation )@ep$d- said +alacaHang returned the la! to 8ongress supposedly to correct errors in the !ording. #he la! formaliCes the addition of t!o years to the previous 10"year basic education curriculum. *t also integrates a la! passed in 2011 that made indergarten also mandatory in public schools. #he ne! 12"year basic education curriculum comprises si/ years of elementary )(rade 1 to ,-, four years of >unior high school )(rade 1 to 10- and t!o additional years of senior high school )(rade 11 and (rade 12-. 3enior high school !ill be implemented nation!ide in 201,. $ven !ithout the to 12 la!, the @ep$d last year already piloted (rade 11 in &0 public and private schools as it began to overhaul the elementary and high school curriculum. #he to 12 la! also authoriCes @ep$d to hire college faculty members, professional practitioners and other non"education graduates to teach in high school, lifting a 1IIJ rule that requires only licensed teachers to teach in elementary and high school. 3ource; http;<<ne!sinfo.inquirer.net<J0IJ7K<after"&"months"aquino"to"finally"sign"."12" la!

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