Private colleges urged to prepare having no freshmen by 2016 under K to 12

CHEd chairperson Patricia Licuanan: Alarmed PHOTO FROM CHED.GOV.PH

MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) has so far no solution to offer to private tertiary schools which will have no freshmen by 2016 due to the Kindergarten to Grade 12 (K to 12) program.

CHEd Chairperson Patricia Licuanan said they would leave it up to private universities and colleges to brainstorm and find a solution.

“We realize it’s a concern…They should start making plans,” she said in an interview.

Licuanan said CHEd has formed a technical working group tasked to “explore” solutions.

“But they should do it themselves. If they come up with a good idea, then we’ll support it,” she said, explaining that CHEd has been mainly responsible for curriculum quality and standards.

The Department of Education (DepEd)’s K to 12 reform calls for a new 12-year basic education curriculum at par with international standards.

Under K to 12, elementary consists of Grade 1 to 6 while high school will now consist of junior high school from Grade 7 to 10 and the additional two-year senior high school from Grade 11 to 12.

Grade 11 will be implemented by 2016, such that fourth year high school students will move on to senior high school instead of moving on to college.

Licuanan said they realized the “necessary downside and sacrifice” on the part of tertiary schools, which would have no freshmen by 2016.

She said a number of higher educational institutions (HEIs) “have shown intent” to handle Grades 11 and 12.

Licuanan said such a decision would be easier for private HEIs than for state universities and local government-funded universities.

“They’re still discussing it among themselves to find a solution… They have to look for other things,” she said.

“But in the long term (the K to 12 program) will be good for the universities,” Licuanan added.