Aquino brushes off critics, says PH is ready for K-12 program

Unconstitutional, invalid

In a 40-page petition, the Suspend K to 12 Alliance, militant lawmakers and National Artist for Literature Bienvenido Lumbera filed the certiorari plea just three days before the start of the new school year, asking the Supreme Court to declare Republic Act No. 10533, the law institutionalizing K-12, as “unconstitutional and invalid, and to permanently enjoin its implementation.”

Like previous suits against the law, the latest petition sought an immediate issuance of a temporary restraining order to put the program on hold.

The petitioners include party-list Representatives Antonio Tinio of ACT Teachers, Neri Colmenares and Carlos Zarate of Bayan Muna, Gabriela’s Emmi de Jesus and Luz Ilagan, Fernando Hicap of Anakpawis, and Terry Ridon of Kabataan.

Named respondents were President Aquino, Luistro, CHEd chairperson Patricia Licuanan and Tesda director general Joel Villanueva.

Labor export policy

The K-12 program, which adds two years of senior high school to the long-standing 10-year education cycle, is expected to introduce the new Grades 4 and 10 curriculum this school year.

The DepEd earlier said the coming school year would see the construction of more school buildings for the roll out of Grade 11 next year.

The latest petition said the K-12 primarily seeks to enforce the government’s “labor export policy” by institutionalizing vocational training in senior high school.

“Far from advocating national development, the … (K-12 program) will prioritize ‘global competitiveness’ which is nothing but a euphemism for the continuation of the 30-year-old labor export policy, as proven by senior high school courses aligned with foreign needs such as caregiving, food and beverage services, housekeeping, household services, welding, and slaughtering operation,” the petition read.

The DepEd earlier explained that the government has prepared a catchment mechanism for those who might be laid off because of the gap years in the implementation of K-12, when colleges and universities would lose out on enrollment as incoming students would have to stay in high school to take up the two additional years.

The petition also said the K-12 curriculum “does not inculcate patriotism and nationalism in the youth, does not promote a self-reliant economy,” and is “not relevant to the needs of the people and society.”

Luistro had earlier expressed confidence that the government could defend the legality and constitutionality of the K-12 law in court. With a report from Celine Palenzuela, intern

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