Parents to DepEd: Don’t experiment with our kids

MANILA, Philippines–A group of parents has formally launched a movement calling for the suspension of the government’s K to 12 program, expressing fears their children will become “experiments” of the Department of Education (DepEd).

Parents’ Movement Against K-12 spokesperson Jovita Montes said on Friday that their group was formed in partnership with women’s rights group Gabriela to call for the suspension of the education reform program which adds two years of high school to the country’s current 10-year basic education program.

Montes said during the group’s launch in Manila that they were against the implementation of the program because they believed that DepEd was “ill-prepared.” The group will be launching a nationwide signature campaign seeking the support of other parents opposed to the K to 12 program.

“As a parent, is it okay with you that your child’s education is subject to experimentation?” said Montes, whose youngest daughter will be among the first batch to enter senior high school in 2016. She said they feared the new program would not guarantee quality education.

“Our fear is the quality of education [that will result from this program]. Yes, it’s guaranteed that after two years your child may be able to land a job, but what kind of job would that be?” she said, adding that the technical-vocational track of the program would only result in the production of “cheap labor.”

Students entering senior high school in 2016 have four tracks to choose from: Academic, technical-vocational livelihood, sports, and arts and design. Montes said the unavailability of some of the program’s four tracks in public schools also proved to be troublesome for the parents.