Officials told to reply to petition vs K-to-12

MANILA, Philippines–The Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered education and labor officials to respond to a petition seeking to stop the K-to-12 (Kindergarten to Grade 12) basic education program that would add two years to high school in an effort to make Filipino graduates more competitive with their foreign counterparts.

Told to comment were Education Secretary Armin Luistro, Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz, Technical Education and Skills Development Authority Director General Joel Villanueva, Commission on Higher Education Chair Patricia Licuanan, the secretary general of the House of Representatives and Miriam College.

“The court required respondents to comment on the petition and the application for temporary restraining order within the 10 days from notice,” Supreme Court spokesman Theodore Te said in a briefing on Tuesday.

The law is the basis for the K-to-12 program that would add two years to the 10-year basic education curriculum, decompressing the crammed curriculum and giving students more time to prepare for college or employment immediately after high school.