In recent years, the Philippine educational system has undergone major changes in both execution and duration. In a bid to improve the competency of Filipino students and follow the international standards of education, schools and educational institutions have transitioned into using the K to 12 programs in the Philippines, effectively adding three years to the former curriculum with the establishment of a junior and senior high school level. While the end goal of the Philippine K to 12 curriculum is a noble one, it has not been met with unanimous agreement, with various critiques slamming the rushed transition to the program and the lack of facilities and training for educators.
In this article, we will discuss the advantages and possible drawbacks of this educational reform in the Philippines through K to 12 programs, and why lawmakers and academics have not been filtering their criticisms on why the K to 12 programs may pose more burdens for Filipino families and students.
What Are the Advantages of K to 12 Program in the Philippines?
Before the K to 12 program was implemented in the Philippine Education System, primary and secondary education in the Philippines used to entail only 10 years of schooling, of which the first six years covered elementary school and the last four years covered high school.
While the Philippines thrived with this system, it remained as the sole country that used this program in Southeast Asia. This was one of the driving factors why the Department of Education proposed the implementation of K to 12. With the adoption of the K to 12 Program, however, basic education now covers 13 years, with the following key stages: Kindergarten to Grade 3; Grades 4 to 6; Grades 7 to 10 (compulsory junior high school); Grades 11 and 12 (senior high school).
When the K to 12 educational program was signed into law in May 2013 by the late President Benigno Aquino III, teachers and institutions were both hopeful and dubious about what it had in store for both the students and the schools around the country. Some of the advantages that were presented by the Philippine K to 12 programs revolved around better student training, and better competency of students on a global scale – with the officials claiming that Filipino students who graduate from senior high school will not only be ready for employment but will also be up to par with the international education standards.
K to 12 Led to Higher Quality Education in the Philippines
With the national government’s backing, the Department of Education aimed to improve the quality of education for public schools. With full funding for instructional programs and facilities that will build students’ skills and knowledge, DepEd intended to make senior high graduates employable even without a college education.
The rigorous K to 12 Program uses high-standard instructional programs to build student’s knowledge and skills in different subject areas, including courses that make them employable as they finish high school. Gone are the days when students finish their college diplomas even as young as 20 years old but cannot compete with their Asian neighbors.
Together with a specific focus on better education, the government also allocated funds to train teachers through continuous training and seminars to equip them with the crucial know-how to help students forge a path towards the career that they want. With the teachers’ and educational custodians’ empowerment, they can lead Philippine education to a more advanced and student-centered system of learning.
With the K-12 program, Filipino students stand to benefit from better-equipped teachers as the government has lined up continuous trainings and seminars for their professional development. More empowered school personnel and principals are now more effective, as we advance to a technical and student-centered system of teaching and learning designed for the students of the next millennium.
Students Can Choose Tracks as Early as Grade 10 With K to 12
Aside from better training and skills attainment, students are given three tracks and multiple strands that will help them forge a path on the specialization or career they’re planning on pursuing. The DepEd promised to offer higher quality education through these tracks, which will give students enough time to master a field and enhance their skills. In the end, K to 12 program graduates will become globally competitive and ready for the expanding labor market.
Through three different tracks – academic, technical-vocational-livelihood, and sports and arts – students are able to focus on courses and subjects that will help them transition to their college courses or onto careers after graduation.
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With Philippine K to 12 designed as a student-centered curriculum, students are given the freedom to take on a more hands-on role in choosing what they will learn. Compared to the traditional curriculum, students will not be subjected to pre-chosen subjects. Instead, they will be given enough flexibility to choose tracks and further finetune their education.
K to 12 Programs in the Philippines Will Produce Employable Senior Graduates
Aside from a clearer track, K to 12 also provides students with the necessary skills and knowledge to be readily employable if they wish to work after senior high school. Together with academic and technical courses offered in senior high school, students will also be given the choice of taking entrepreneurship courses so that they’ll be trained with the skills and competencies they’ll need to establish businesses after graduation. SHS graduates will also be allowed to apply for certifications through the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) so that they can further improve their skillsets and equip themselves with better knowledge acquisition for immediate employment. With specialized K to 12 courses, the implementation of this curriculum will not only produce highly skilled graduates but will also bring forth individuals who are competent enough to be employable in the global labor market.
What Are the Disadvantages of K to 12 Program in the Philippines?
While the K to 12 program in the Philippines is aimed to help improve the quality of education in the Philippines and produce better skilled students for maximum employability, K to 12 has also been bombarded with criticisms, mainly on the financial ability of Filipinos to support their children through three additional years of school. Under the current setup, two more years of school means thousands more in expenses. And under the K to 12 Program, which requires students to choose one of three SHS tracks in their curriculum, things are about to get pricier.
Since it was signed into law, there have been five petitions and counting from students, teachers and parents claiming that the new K to 12 educational program will, among other issues, aggravate the financial situation of Filipino families and force millions to drop out of school. Unfortunately, this additional financial burden also forces thousands or even millions of students to drop out of school due to additional educational expenses. As much as this educational development can help students, Filipino parents and families are ill-equipped.
In the third petition filed by the National Union of People’s Lawyers they say that “The K to 12 Program is no ordinary government program. It is set to redefine access to education, especially for the poor who must spend for additional years of education. It unduly burdens the exercise of the human right to education.”
In a study done by youth solon Kabataan Party-List (KPL), students who are going to be entering senior high school will need to access as much as PHP200,000 for the next two additional years. Computing the food and transportation allowance of average students of P100 to P150 for 200 school days, families will need to produce around P20,000 to P30,000 annually. Meanwhile, calculating the cost of school supplies and other miscellaneous expenses, such as uniforms and workbooks, based on Department of Trade and Industry data and case studies from Araullo High School, KPL estimates another P10,000 burden for parents brought on by the K to 12 program.
But aside from the additional expenses, the financial issue may further be aggravated since not all public high schools will be able to offer senior high school education. According to DepEd data, almost half of public schools around the country will not be implementing SHS courses due to the lack of classrooms and teachers. In fact, less than half, or 3,839, out of 7,976 public high school nationwide will implement SHS courses, according to the DepEd’s list of K to 12 program-ready schools. To graduate from senior high, public-school students may be forced to transfer to private schools or public schools that are farther from their residences. These translate to higher tuition fees and equipment for vocational courses, on top of higher transportation costs.
Philippine K to 12 Implementation Places Excessive Pressure on Educators
While disadvantages of K to 12 in the Philippines generally revolve around the financial ability of students and their parents to support them through two additional years of school, another drawback is how it places pressure on Filipino educators, especially in public schools. Teachers and other educational custodians are required to undergo extensive training to be able to offer the courses that need to be taught to senior high school students and at the same time juggle large classes often seen in the public school system.
With an educational system that does not always provide the needs and requirements of teachers to be well equipped and well-prepared for every class they need to teach, the K to 12 forces them to take on larger loads and higher pressure just to deliver high-quality education to students.
In addition to these K to 12 disadvantages, lesson plans and courses also need to be completely overhauled. Together with students who would need to adjust to two additional years in school, teachers will also need enough time to adjust to the new load that they need to bear.
K to 12 May Just Be a Band-Aid Solution for Philippine Education
While public schools are now offering free education and better equipment, a lot of Philippine towns and villages still lack access to educational institutions within their communities. From students needing to tread mountains and travel through rivers and teachers needing to pay for their own supplies, the educational system and government support is still lacking, and adding two more years to the overall curriculum may not be as perfectly executed by all schools around the country.
Instead of the government improving the educational system in and of itself and furnishing all schools and institutions with the tools and equipment they need to maximize learning for the students, the implementation of the K to 12 program in the Philippines may only be adding to the struggles of teachers and students to both offer and access formal education.
In the end, before DepEd attempts to improve the country’s basic education curriculum at par with supposed international standards, the government needs to make sure if the youth can enroll at all. At the current state of things, education—more importantly, public education—has come with a hefty price tag. And what good is any touted enhancement of education if the youth cannot access it in the first place?
Reference:
BUSINESSMIRROR. (2022, May 19). Advantages and Disadvantages of the K to 12. Retrieved from businessmirror.com.ph/2022/05/19/k-to-12-advantages-and-disadvantages/
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