QUEZON CITY, PIA – The National Youth Commission (NYC) is urging lawmakers not to take “two steps back” on the K to 12 program, amidst calls from various groups to suspend its implementation.
“We all need to seriously consider the impact of any drastic move to halt the K to 12 program as it enters its fifth year with the Senior High School as its last mile,” NYC Chairperson Gio Tingson said adding that “It would be difficult to establish the gains of the educational reforms being done if we will not see through its completion.”
Republic Act 10533 or the Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013 gave birth to the K to 12 program and gave two more years of basic education in the country.
The implementation of the program, however, was met with criticisms especially in the construction of new classrooms and the possible loss of jobs for teachers in higher education institutions (HEIs) in the next 5 years.
From 2010, the Department of Education (DepEd) has filled 128,055 new teacher items. Education Secretary Bro. Armin Luistro reported that the agency has built 66,813 classrooms from 2010 to 2013. The Secretary of Education also noted that there were 33,608 classrooms completed last year.
Despite some glitches in the program’s implementation, NYC maintains that DepEd and various stakeholders will be able to address the problem.
“If the Department [of Education] can assure us that the loss of jobs for HEI faculty can be avoided, we should put our trust in the program,” said Tingson. DepEd, for its part, assures that it will be hiring 30,000 teachers in 2016 alone.
NYC also urges teachers and faculty unions to take legal remedies in case higher education institutions implement lay-offs due to anticipatory loss.
The youth commission is citing the statement of Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Labor Relations Officer Benjo Benavidez that no company is allowed to lay off employees in lieu of anticipatory loss. Such practices would be in violation of Article 283 of the Labor Code.
Tingson proposes a multi-stakeholder and interagency approach in promoting solutions to problems presented by the K to12 implementation.
“DOLE, Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) have a role in ensuring a smooth transition for teachers, students and parents in the implementation of the program”, the youth commission chairperson noted. “Agencies, teachers, parents and students have to be part of the implementation”, he added.
NYC is optimistic that graduates of the 12-year program will possess the competencies and skills relevant to the job market, especially with the looming ASEAN Economic Integration.
NYC also urges DepEd to ensure the completion of the issuance of permits in establishing Senior High Schools by the end of March.
Likewise, the NYC is also optimistic that the proposed SHS Voucher program will enable Grade 10 finishers from DepEd junior high schools to enroll in non-DepEd SHS (private high schools, private Higher Educational Institutions, State Universities and Colleges/Local Universities and Colleges offering Grade 11-12).
“The K to12 program is an important piece of education reform that invests on young people. The promise of better skills and competencies that the program will provide our youth must not be sacrificed due to some remediable glitches,” Tingson said. (NYC)