The Palace defended the implementation of the K to 12 program saying the country will benefit from it in the long term.
In a radio interview Saturday, Communication Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr said the public must understand the adoption of K to 12 for the country’s school system because it has benefits.
“Mainam po siguro na itong ating mga kababayan, mga kapatid, mga magulang, mga mag-aaral na mayroong ganyang saloobin ay kung maaari ay gumugol din sila nang konting panahon para magnilay at pag-aralan ang buod nitong isinasagawa nating K to 12,” he said over an interview.
Not adopting K to 12 will move the country’s school system backward because the Philippines will be one of the three remaining countries in the world that have not adopted 12-year basic education, Coloma said.
Implementing K to 12 has benefits for students, he said.
“Maitatanong natin, gaano ba kahalaga ‘yung dagdag na dalawang taon? Ang iaambag ko na lang dito ay iyong aking point of view bilang isang guro, kasi ako po ay isang guro, professor po ako for the last — almost three decades,” Coloma said.
“Sa pag-aaral, iyong dagdag na panahon na iniuukol sa pagbibigay ng kaalaman ay parating maganda ang benepisyong ito dahil madadagdagan ang pondo ng kaalaman.”
With K to 12, students will gain more knowledge in basic reading, writing, and arithmetic as well as supplemental knowledge, he argued.
What’s new in K to 12 is the addition of a two-year senior high school in the curriculum on top of the compulsory kindergarten, he noted.
K to 12 requires mandatory compulsory kindergarten as well as basic elementary education from grades one to 12.
The two-year senior high school includes menu for students and they can opt to take technical courses, Coloma said.
“Paano naiiba itong senior high school? Ang kaibahan ngayon bukod doon sa tradisyunal na idinagdag na high school, meron po ngayong menu na pagpipilian ang mga mag-aaral natin na magse-senior high school,” he said.
“Meron po diyan voc-tech menu. Pwedeng ‘yung dalawang taon na iyon ang focus nila ay ‘yung paga-acquire ng technical o vocational skills na pwede na nilang magamit sa paghahanap ng trabaho dahil katulad ito doon sa pagsasanay na ibinibigay ng TESDA,” he noted.
Coloma said that in the past six years, TESDA graduates had very high employment rates, more than 90 percent, and this makes students more competitive in the job market.
For those who want to venture on arts, they can take music and dance under the two-year senior high school.
“Kaya sana kung pag-aralan lang ito nang maigi nang ating mga kababayan ay mauunawaan nila na talagang kailangang-kailangan nila itong K to 12, kailangang-kailangan na ipatupad natin ito dahil deka-dekada na itong ipinagpaliban,” the Palace official said.
Parents, especially those who are poor, are complaining on the K to 12 implementation saying adding more years to the school system creates additional financial burden for them.
