Education And Science: Philippine K to 12 Program on the Go!

There is no denying that the Philippines quality education has deteriorated in all aspects where our graduates are labeled as unfit, uncompetitive and inefficient if they will go abroad. Thus, our educational system for many years has been undergoing an unending change and implementation of variable curricula and programs almost every two years to uplift the quality of our education and produce graduates that are holistically developed Filipinos with 21st century skills and is prepared for higher education. Last June 2012, the Department of Education implemented the K to 12 program and just recently Pres. Aquino signed the law institutionalizing the Republic Act 10533 (Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013), to answer this clamor. The question is, will the K to 12 cater this?

The goal of the program is to produce graduates that are holistically developed Filipinos with 21st Century skills and are prepared for higher education, middle-level skills development, employment and entrepreneurship. This ensures that even if the student doesn't choose to go to college, he/she will finish studying what is basic wherein human resources departments would no longer ask for college degree as a minimum requirement for employment.

The K to 12 Program as a whole is definitely excellent and in the long run has a significant role for producing globally competitive graduates. This program has its own advantages and disadvantages that can be perceived as subject for criticism just like any other prior programs. Every Filipinos have split opinions and insights about the implementation of K to 12 program by the Philippine government.

First and foremost, the implementation of the program itself. Are we ready for the K to 12? Considering all the preparations and necessary aspects, from the physical structure to the human resources? There are many problems in the Philippine education scene that needed much attention and long-term solutions first. Such problems are being addressed for a long time already. Build additional and conducive classrooms, improve teaching quality, renovate old schools, provide the necessary needs (textbooks, instructional materials, facilities and equipments, etc.) or do whatever is needed to be accomplished in order for the quality of education to be restored. Isn't it too premature to start this program? I strongly believe that K-12 will only work better if the overall quality of education here will be improved to a much competitive level first. However, it's implemented already all over the Philippine archipelago.

As a Grade 7 teacher and first implementer of this program, I have positive and negative views especially with regards to references, time (lessons pacing), grading system and lesson planning. The following contents are my actual observations and comments on the K to 12 program.

A. Textbook and other References
- there is no definite reference (textbook) for supplementing the lesson
- the production of modules or graphic organizers for activity/output is expensive and sometimes will be shouldered by the teacher considering the financial status of the students (especially for graphic organizers that are complicated and not easy for the students to copy; if copying is to be insisted, the whole period will be consumed just doing one activity.
- until this time, it would be the 2nd year since its implementation, the modules and teaching guide of some other subjects like English, Science, are not yet completed.

B. Time Allotment (specifically for Values Education subject)
- the time is very limited and short, given only 2 hours for SEC and SPA curricula and one hour for STEVEP and Science Curricula, every week for a lengthy and long topic suggested every module, there is always delayed and catching up of lessons with time constraint.

C. Lesson Planning
- in reference to the letter B comment, I encountered problem in my lesson plan since the suggested time frame from the Teacher's Guide cannot be realized because of the time/schedule of my class which is only once or twice a week.
- from our training, we were given a format on how to do the lesson planning but having my short time, I must innovate and modify my lesson plan just to realize the coverage expected from me

D. Grading System
- the grading system from numerical was changed to letter grade.
- the assessment process is holistic, it is standards-based. The philosophy behind the new system is that assessment shall be used primarily Under the standards-based assessment, as a quality assurance tool to track student progress in the attainment of standards, promote self-reflection and personal accountability for one's learning, and a provide a basis for the profiling of student performance. Under the standards-based assessment, promotion and retention of students shall be by subject. It's clear that unit per subject is not anymore counted to promote or retained the student. Hence, there are no definite criteria, standard on the basis of promotion more especially in retention.

Finally, I'm not saying that K to 12 system is totally a nixed idea, as it worked on our neighbouring countries. However, I strongly believe that K-12 will only work better if the overall quality of education here will be improved to a much competitive level first. As cited by the Department of Education in defense of the K to 12 Program, the Philippines must lengthen secondary education by two years in order to comply with "international standards" set by treaties such as the Bologna Process and the Washington Accord; the government should take into consideration in improving the quality of basic education, building science education, scholarship, establishing centers for teachers continuing education to realize and attain the vision to K to 12 Program which is to produce graduates that are holistically developed Filipinos with 21st Century skills and are prepared for higher education, middle-level skills development, employment and entrepreneurship.

Source: http://betsyb.blogspot.com/2013/07/philippine-k-to-12-program-on-go.html

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