Support for K-12: A call for unified action

The private sector recognizes the necessity of a qualified, competent and competitive workforce for the continued development, growth and competitiveness of the Philippine economy. This in turn requires a strong basic education system to provide the fundamentals for a skilled workforce.

Therefore, we, the undersigned representing the private sector, business community and civil society, reaffirm our strong support for the K-12 basic education program as well as the call of our President to improve its implementation. As active partners in nation-building and workforce development, we recognize K-12 as essential for preparing young Filipinos for employment, lifelong learning and active citizenship.

In light of ongoing proposals to remove the senior high school (SHS) program, we believe that doing so would be a step backward in our collective efforts to improve the Filipino workforce.

Instead of dismantling the program, we call on the government to focus on strengthening its implementation by addressing foundational core skills and aligning education outcomes with needs of the economy. At the same time, continue to build on current reforms, including the pilot roll out of the enhanced SHS curriculum, to work in partnership with private education and to expand the work immersion program to boost employability.

The K-12 program, besides strengthening core skills, is designed to bridge the school-to-work gap and give students practical, preparatory and employable skills. When properly implemented, it equips learners with the competencies needed to succeed in postsecondary education, enter the workforce or start their own enterprises. This is critical in an economy that continues to evolve and where demand for skilled workers is growing.

However, the program’s impact is only as strong as its execution. The private sector continues to observe persistent learning gaps, inadequate immersion opportunities and misalignments between SHS offerings and industry needs. These challenges must be addressed urgently – starting from the early grades and continuing through to senior high school – through reforms that improve teacher quality, curriculum relevance, student support systems and meaningful private sector engagement.

We acknowledge President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s directive to the Department of Education to improve the SHS program, and we echo the call for better outcomes. We urge the government to view these issues not as grounds for abandoning the reform, but as an opportunity to deepen its implementation and invest more substantially in public education.

Moreover, the weak learning outcomes of our basic education manifest long before our students reach Grades 11 and 12. The World Bank study shows that more than 90 percent of our students at age 10, Grade 4, cannot read a simple sentence. Therefore, Senior High School is not the source of our weak outcomes. As a matter of fact, it is even more needed to remediate our students and better prepare them for work or further studies.

The success of K-12 – and the future employability of our youth – relies on shared responsibility. We must collectively commit to making K–12 work: by closing learning gaps, aligning skills training with industry standards and supporting every learner’s pathway to gainful employment and lifelong productivity. – Philippine Business for Education (PBEd), Makati City