No TRO vs K-12 program

THE SUPREME Court has denied several petitions seeking to temporarily stop the Kindergarten to 12 Years (K-12) program, with the high court choosing not to disrupt the implementation of the reform initiative while it deliberates on the merits of the cases.

In a last en banc session Tuesday before going on a two-week break, the high court denied the plea for a temporary restraining order (TRO) or a writ of preliminary injunction in six separate petitions against the program.

This paves the way for the roll-out of the two additional years of high school in the incoming school year, unless a final decision is handed down before June.

The K-12, the Aquino administration’s flagship education reform program, adds two years to the 10-year basic education curriculum to align the country’s education system with international standards.

It has, however, faced fierce opposition from teachers’ groups, schools, parents’ organizations and students, particularly over concerns on the curriculum, possible mass layoffs of teachers in colleges and universities that might lose freshman enrollment during the transition, and the delay for high school students who would rather go straight to college.

The petitioners include the Council for Teachers and Staff of Colleges and Universities of the Philippines, the Manila Science High School, ACT Teachers’ party-list, Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV, Eduardo Alicias and Richard Troy Colmenares.

Trillanes Tuesday said the Supreme Court would share the blame for many high school dropouts since it did not stop the implementation of the K-12 extended basic education curriculum.

“Besides, public high schools are not yet ready for K-12,” he added. With Dona Pazzibugan