Lawmaker: Let DepEd meet goal for K+12 program

Representative Sonny Angara. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — House committee on higher education chairperson Aurora Representative Juan Edgardo Angara on Tuesday said that the Department of Education (DepEd) deserves a chance to meet its goal for the K+12 program.

He said that they could use the chance to observe how the DepEd would fair in implementing K+12 and propose improvements if needed.

Although admittedly concerned about how K+12 would pan out, Angara said that having listened to Education Secretary Armin Luistro explained the program eased lawmakers’ apprehension.

“He said that the 66,800 classroom shortage will be reduced to 50,000 upon the completion of 16,000 classrooms,” he said.

“By 2013, DepEd said only 10,000 classrooms would be needed.”

He also denied that kindergarten teachers will be paid only P3,000, saying that Luistro explained that teachers will be paid the said amount “per session and there will be morning and afternoon classes.”

Through K+12, students will be obliged to go through kindergarten before they are allowed to enter elementary level.

The new education program seeks to add two more years to the old 10-year education program, with Grades 7 to 10 as Junior high and Grades 11 and 12 as Senior high.

DepEd seeks to produce its first batch of employment-ready graduates who have the required years of basic education for work abroad by 2018.

The department earlier deplored that the country is the lone Asian country offering the 10-year education cycle which is not enough for application to work abroad.