DepEd challenged to prove success, value of K to 12 program

MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Education (DepEd) should prove the effectiveness of the K-12 basic education curriculum in terms of the program graduates’ employability and entrepreneurial inclination, Biñan, Laguna Rep. Marlyn Alonte said Thursday.

READ: Where do K-12 graduates go? Briones unsure, says research still pending

Alonte said the proposed House review of the program seeks to “identify, determine, and solve those problems that adversely affect the effectiveness and readiness of teachers to implement K to 12.”

“Are senior high school graduates getting hired, self-employed, or putting up their own businesses? If yes, we want empirical, verifiable evidence showing how many, who, why, how, where, and when?” Alonte said in a statement.

Alonte, who is also the deputy majority leader, also proposed a 320-hour on the job training for students, unburdening public school teachers of non-teaching tasks, deploying excess DepEd personnel to schools, as well as better contact time with students.

Scrutinizing K to 12

ACT Teachers party-list Rep. France Castro also supported the plan to review the K to 12 program.

Castro has filed and refiled a House resolution since the 17th Congress calling for an investigation into the issues that emerged with the implementation of the scheme.

“We urge the House leadership to thoroughly review and investigate the K to 12 program and the myriad of issued it came with and realize that the program does not serve the interest of the Filipino youth and the people for decent jobs with decent wages and national industrialization,” Castro said.

K to 12 ‘woes’

Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano last week admitted that many House members believe that the K to 12 program is “still not living up to its promise.”

“Ang promise po ng K-12, may mga tracks ‘yan, and pag gumradweyt ka hindi ka na kailangang mag-college. Pero kulang pa ang mga ito whether automotive ‘yan, electrical, whether sports.   Wala pang equipment ‘yung maraming mga K-12 or senior and junior high school natin (K to 12’s promise was once you graduate, you no longer have to go to college. But there’s a problem with the implementation, in automotive, electrical, or sports tracks, equipment are lacking for K-12 senior and junior high schools),” Cayetano said.

“So ako, I will move faster on those na merong (with) consensus,” he added.

In a budget briefing last September, Education Secretary Leonor Briones admitted that she was unsure of where K to 12 graduates go, saying the DepEd has yet to conduct a tracer study on the graduates of the program.

The K to 12 program’s implementation gradually started in 2013 and its first batch of graduates finished SHS in March 2018.

In April 2018, JobStreet Philippines’ study revealed that only 24 percent of employers in the country were willing to hire K to 12 graduates, as college degree holders are prioritized.

The same report also said 35 percent of employers did not want to hire K to 12 graduates because they are underqualified or do not have sufficient work experience. /gsg