The Philippines is the only remaining Asian nation still implementing the 10-year cycle in its basic education. Thus, the Department of Education (DepEd) is pushing for the implementation of the K to 12 program so that the country’s curriculum will be equivalent to international standards, and will give graduates better opportunities to be gainfully employed.
Most country’s have 12 years basic education.
This was revealed by Department of Education (DepEd) Undersecretary Atty. Tonisito Umali during a special edition of Communication and News Exchange Forum/Talking Points sponsored by the Philippine Information Agency and the Presidential Communications Operations.
The K to 12 Program aims to augment secondary education by adding two years of senior high school to the current four-year high school, as well as, integrate specialized programs depending on a district’s industries. The program will also add kindergarten level.
More importantly, the K to 12 program offers a more balanced approach to learning that will enable children to acquire lifelong learning skills (as against congested curriculum).
With K to 12, the DepEd claims, high school graduates will be equipped with work skills that will qualify them for a job or become entrepreneurs. A high school graduate produced by the proposed K to 12 Program will be 18 years old and therefore legally eligible for employment.
Atty. Umali noted that 70 percent of the country’s unemployed are high school graduates.
Source: Philippine Information Agency - http://bit.ly/jVhdc5
