MANILA, Philippines – A delay in classroom construction in 2014 and thousands of jobless university teachers hound the full implementation of the K to 12 program, Education Secretary Armin Luistro admitted to lawmakers on Wednesday.
Despite the problems, Luistro appealed to lawmakers not to suspend the implementation of the K to 12 program. Pasig Rep. Roman Romulo’s has moved to author a resolution for its suspension if the Department of Education (DepEd) failed in its implementation
In an ambush interview, Luistro said the construction of 33,608 classrooms in 2014 was delayed because the designs of the buildings were overhauled to make these resilient to disasters in light of the impact of Super Typhoon Yolanda and the Bohol 7.2 magnitude earthquake in 2013.
“Nagkaroon lang ng kaunting delays sa pagpapabago ng ating design,” Luistro said, adding that the construction of classrooms backlog will start in the second quarter of this year.
According to DepEd’s figures in its midterm report, 3,291 classrooms were constructed in 2010, 12,513 classrooms in 2011, 16,323 in 2012, 34,686 in 2013, and 33,608 in 2014.
Luistro said he was one of the reasons for the delay of classrooms construction in 2014.
“Aaminin ko, may kaunting delay sa 2014. Maraming rason, isa na ako dun,” Luistro told lawmakers.
Asked for clarification, Luistro said this was because he could not under his conscience rush the construction of the classrooms but not make these resilient to calamities.
“In conscience I cannot build classrooms na masisira ng intensity nine na earthquake. I decided it’s not prudent to rush it. It’s okay to be delayed, basta may justification,” Luistro said.
Under the K to 12 program, there will be one year of kindergarten, six years of elementary, and six years of secondary education (the latter includes four years of junior high and two years of senior high school).
The additional years of primary education would displace tertiary schools of incoming first year students for at least two years.
The program aims to make the country’s education system at par with other more developed countries, despite additional cost to families and problems on educational infrastructure.
Thousands of university professors also stand to lose their jobs because they would be displaced by students who will enroll in the additional two years of senior high school, Luistro said.
Luistro said the “worst case scenario” is an estimated 39,000 teaching personnel and 14,000 non-teaching losing their jobs because of the displacement.
But the Cabinet official assured of safety nets for teachers, such as the grant of scholarships that they may avail to study higher degrees at the time of the hiatus.
Luistro also said the DepEd may hire the jobless professors in their agency as principals or teachers.
He added that some universities even opted to set up high schools not only to absorb the influx of senior high school students but also to provide jobs for its professors.
Luistro said the DepEd will hire 30,000 teachers for each of the additional two years for the full implementation of K to 12.
In presenting DepEd’s midterm report, Luistro noted at least a million increase of students in kinder,800,000 increase in elementary, and half a million increase in secondary from 2008 to 2014.
Luistro also said at least 80 percent of five year olds are in school. “Ang magandang balita malapit na tayo sa 100 percent,” he said.
The education secretary also promised that even the poorest municipalities will have at least one senior high school student in the last two years to the full implementation of K to 12.
“Iyan ang ating pangako. Walang munisipyo kahit maliit na walang senior high school,” Luistro said.