by Lorie Ann A. Cascaro
The crisis in Philippine education system is as perennial as poverty. Many people say that solving one could go a long way to eliminating the other. There are those who believe that quality education is the answer to poverty while still others say quality education cannot be attained unless there is economic emancipation–perennially hungry, emaciated pupils are slow learners.
Which reminds one of the poser: which comes first, the chicken or the egg? Which should come first, quality education or three square meals a day? Evidently, the government has opted for quality education with its proposed K+12 Basic Education Program aimed at preparing Filipino children for productive employment.
While the Department of Education (DepEd) believes that this proposal will be a key towards eventually eradicating unemployment and poverty in the country, the youth sector and various groups have voiced opposition to the program’s implementation.
In this program, the current four-year secondary education will be called junior high school, making it Grade 7-10 plus two years senior high school. DepEd stated that these added two years will be an in-depth specialization for students according to their preferred career.
Only the Philippines among Asian nations has a 10-year basic education program, while its neigh ors have long applied the K+12 program after discovering that the 10-year education cycle is too short as it lacks sufficient mastery of basic competencies due to a congested curriculum.
Intending to provide time for students to consolidate acquired academic skills and competencies, senior high school will allow specializations in science and technology; music and the arts; agriculture and fisheries; sports; business and entrepreneurship.
With its “Batang K to 12, Handa sa Trabaho o Kolehiyo, Handa sa Mundo ” (K + 12) program, the DepEd says adding two years to high school will decongest and enhance the basic education curriculum, and provide better quality education for all.
On the contrary, various organizations have expressed their opposition, saying it will only exacerbate the deteriorating situation of education and will not give assurance of a quality education.
“The government should not conceal from the public the reality nga ang atong problema sa eknomiya dako kaayo, ubos ang ginagahin nga budget sa gobyerno kanunay sa edukasyon tungod kay halos katunga sa atong national budget padulong sa bayad sa utang sa gawas,” Joel Virador, former Bayan Muna partylist representative, said.
Virador cited Presidential Decree 1177, or the automatic appropriation act that mandates to allot the biggest amount of the national budget to debt servicing. He said that unless this law is repealed, the budget for education will not be enough, and there is a constant lack of classrooms, chairs, teachers and other needs in public schools.
Davao City Councilor Leah Librado also expressed her apprehension over the proposal, saying, “The allocated budget for education every year is never enough to address basic problems of shortage of classrooms, seats, and teachers. Such a budget is too short to send all youth to school. I wonder–while the government’s allocation for education has been inadequate, how will the government fund the additional two years of basic education?”
The DepEd estimates the total funding requirement to procure all needed resources at P150 billion for 152,569 new classrooms, 103,599 more teachers, 95.6 million more books, and 13.2 million more seats.
The kindergarten and full 12-year basic education is free. The DepEd said that it is the right of every Filipino, therefore they must be and will be provided for by government and will have free education.
Professor Mae Fe Ancheta-Templa of the Educators Forum for Development said the government should first invest in adequate economic and social infrastructure such as providing more classrooms, textbooks, and well-paid teachers, rather than extending the length of education cycle in the country like that of the proposed K+12.
DepEd said K+12 will facilitate an accelerated economic growth, and mutual recognition of Filipino graduates and professionals in other countries. Several studies have shown, the department said, that improvement in the quality of education will increase gross domestic product (GDP) growth by as much as two percent.
Elenito Escalante, chairperson of Kahugpungan sa mga Magtutudlo ug Kawani sa Edukasyon sa Mindanao—Alliance of Concerned Teachers (KAMKEM-ACT), said that it is necessary for the government to study the history of the Philippines and ensure that the education system will not remain colonial. Changes in the basic education cycle, he continued, should be contextualized in the concrete condition of the country.
“Genuine reforms in the education system is a must, and that should include additional salaries and benefits for teachers and, along with this, is the wage increase for all workers,” Escalante added.
The universal kindergarten will be offered starting school year (SY) 2011-2012. By 2012, DepEd will begin unclogging the basic education curriculum. The enhanced 12-year curriculum will be implemented starting with incoming Grade 1 students of SY 2012-2013.
Incoming freshmen of SY 2012-2013 will be the first beneficiaries of a free senior high school education that will be made available by DepEd in public schools beginning SY 2016-2017.
The K+12 program envisions that students will acquire master of basic competencies, and be more mature; socially aware, pro-active, involved in public and civic affairs; adequately prepared for the world of work or entrepreneurship or higher education; legally employable with potential for better earnings, and globally competitive.
DepEd said, “Every graduate of the Enhanced K+12 Basic Education Program will be an empowered individual who has learned; through a program that is rooted on sound educational principles and geared towards excellence; the foundations for learning throughout life; the competence to engage in work and be productive; the ability to coexist in fruitful harmony with local and global communities; the capability to engage in autonomous critical thinking, and the capacity to transform others and one’s self.”
But, the Philippines will never have a quality education, Templa said, if the economic conditions of majority of the Filipinos will not be alleviated. “The government, of course, has the statistics on how many malnourished children are going to school and how these children perform in class is not surprising at all,” she added.
