Teachers back K-12 review

MANILA, Philippines — A party-list group representing public school teachers yesterday supported the plan of the House of Representatives to review the K-12 or 12-year basic education program that includes an additional two years of senior high school.

“We support the House leadership in their move to review K-12 and its effectiveness. This overhaul of the country’s basic education system brought with it a myriad of issues as reported from the field by teachers and other school personnel, parents and students,” Rep. France Castro of Alliance of Concerned Teachers said.

He said her group has re-filed a resolution urging Congress to inquire into the issues hounding the implementation of Republic Act No. 10533 or the Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013.

“The review is long overdue. Lawmakers have to look into the roots of the problems, including the chronic underfunding for the requirements of basic education, and immediately address them,” Castro, who is a teacher, said.

She added that Congress and the Aquino administration went into the extended basic education program in 2012-2013 without solving the perennial lack of teachers, books, chairs, tables and other supplies, classrooms, funding and support personnel.

She said the public school system continues to face such shortages even though the budget for education has been increasing every year.

Castro suggested that the government should also ensure enough jobs for graduates of the K-12 program, particularly those choosing to go into the technical-vocational field, sports and arts, and no longer pursue college education.

“Today, even college graduates have a hard time looking for jobs with decent wages, how much more do we expect from Grade 12 graduates? The government put in place a nationalist, scientific and mass-oriented curriculum and system of education, but at the same time, it should create more decent jobs with decent wages for millions of jobseekers,” she said.

Over the weekend, Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano said the House would review the effectiveness of the K-12 program because “it 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.”

He said the program gives senior high school students the option to take vocational and technical subjects that would prepare them for future employment.

“But many schools still lack equipment, whether it is automotive, electrical or sports. So there are issues that we have to address,” he added.

The Department of Education (DepEd), received huge increases in its budget due to the K-12 funding.