The K-12 Basic Education Program

Ang Kabataan ang pag-asa ng Bayan. It was the famous quotes of our national hero which everyone believed in that the children of today are the people of tomorrow. The government is focusing on providing the basic needs that a child must have. And one of these is Education. Philippine educational system has gone different changes as the government progresses and as modernization heightens. From pre-Spanish colonization to present day, Philippine educational system is way too different.

Why does the Philippines Need the K-12 Education System?

If we want change in our society, we must start it with our education system. Implementation of the new curriculum has started in the school year 2012 2013; the current education system of the Philippines will be enhanced from the 10- years of basic education into 12years through the program called the K-12 Education Plan of the Department of Education. The implementation of the K- 12 education plan in the Philippine Basic Education Curriculum is the key to our nations development. Though the government will face many problems in the long run of the implementation of the program, there really is a need to implement it because the enhancement of the quality of our education is very urgent and critical. Here are some of the good reasons not to disagree with K- 12 education plan in the Philippines according to Isagani Cruz (2010) in one of his columns in a local newspaper: If K- 12 will be implemented, students will be able to get sufficient instructional time to do subject- related tasks which makes them more prepared and well- trained on that subject area. On the other hand, if we remain on the old system, Filipino students would continually get low achievement scores. For instance, international test results revealed that we often come at the tail end in the exams compared to other countries. Another good reason why we should support K- 12 is that the graduates of this program will be more prepared to enter the labor force. As we all noticed, high school graduates of the current curriculum are not yet employable for the reason that they are not yet

competent and well equipped with the skills needed in the workplaces. In addition, most high school graduates are not yet reaching the legal age of 18. With the new curriculum, senior high school students can choose a field that they are good at and that they are interested in. As a result, they will be equipped with the skills needed for a specific job even without a college degree. At the age of 18, the age when they graduate from high school, they will be employable and competitive already. Thus, adding up to the nations manpower. Finally, with K- 12, Filipino graduates will be automatically recognized as professionals abroad because we are following the international education standard as practiced by all nations. There will be no need to study again and spend more money in order to qualify to their standards. With this, Filipino professionals who aspire to work abroad will not find a hard time in getting jobs in line with their chosen field and will be able to help their families more in the Philippines as well as the countrys economy with their remittances, property buying, and creation of businesses. Filipinos are known to be competitive in the international community. While this may be true, our current education system hinders us in becoming more competitive among other countries. The K12 education plan offers a great solution to that problem.

Features of the K-12 Basic Education Program

1. Strengthening Early Childhood Education (Universal Kindergarten)
Every Filipino child now has access to early childhood education through Universal Kindergarten. At 5 years old, children start schooling and are given the means to slowly adjust to formal education. Research shows that children who underwent Kindergarten have better completion rates than those who did not. Children who complete a standards-based Kindergarten program are better prepared, for primary education. Education for children in the early years lays the foundation for lifelong learning and for the total development of a child. The early years of a human being, from 0 to 6 years, are the most critical period when the brain grows to at least 60-70 percent of adult size. In Kindergarten, students learn the alphabet, numbers, shapes, and colors through games, songs, and dances, in their Mother Tongue. 2. Making Curriculum Relevant to Learners (Contextualization and Enhancement)

Examples, activities, songs, poems, stories, and illustrations are based on local culture, history, and reality. This makes the lessons relevant to the learners and easy to understand. Students acquire in-depth knowledge, skills, values, and attitudes through continuity and consistency across all levels and subjects. Discussions on issues such as Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR), Climate Change Adaptation, and Information & Communication Technology (ICT) are included in the enhanced curriculum.

3. Building Proficiency through Language (Mother Tongue-Based Multilingual Education) Students are able to learn best through their first language, their Mother Tongue (MT). Twelve (12) MT languages have been introduced for SY 2012-2013: Bahasa Sug, Bikol, Cebuano, Chabacano, Hiligaynon, Iloko, Kapampangan, Maguindanaoan, Meranao, Pangasinense, Tagalog, and Waray. Other local languages will be added in succeeding school years. Aside from the Mother Tongue, English and Filipino are taught as subjects starting Grade 1, with a focus on oral fluency. From Grades 4 to 6, English and Filipino are gradually introduced as languages of instruction. Both will become primary languages of instruction in Junior High School (JHS) and Senior High School (SHS). After Grade 1, every student can read in his or her Mother Tongue. Learning in Mother Tongue also serves as the foundation for students to learn Filipino and English easily.

4. Ensuring Integrated and Seamless Learning (Spiral Progression) Subjects are taught from the simplest concepts to more complicated concepts through grade levels in spiral progression. As early as elementary, students gain knowledge in areas such as Biology, Geometry, Earth Science, Chemistry, and Algebra. This ensures a mastery of knowledge and skills after each level. For example, currently in High School, Biology is taught in 2nd Year, Chemistry in 3rd Year, and Physics in 4th Year. In K to 12, these subjects are connected and integrated from Grades 7 to 10. This same method is used in other Learning Areas like Math.

5. Gearing Up for the Future (Senior High School) Senior High School is two years of specialized upper secondary education; students may choose a specialization based on aptitude, interests, and school capacity. The choice of

career track will define the content of the subjects a student will take in Grades 11 and 12. SHS subjects fall under either the Core Curriculum or specific Tracks. A. CORE CURRICULUM There are seven Learning Areas under the Core Curriculum. These are Languages, Literature, Communication, Mathematics, Philosophy, Natural Sciences, and Social Sciences. Current content from some General Education subjects are embedded in the SHS curriculum. B. TRACKS Each student in Senior High School can choose among three tracks: Academic; TechnicalVocational-Livelihood; and Sports and Arts. The Academic track includes three strands: Business, Accountancy, Management (BAM); Humanities, Education, Social Sciences (HESS); and Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics (STEM). Students undergo immersion, which may include earn-while-you-learn opportunities, to provide them relevant exposure and actual experience in their chosen track. C. TVET (TECHNICAL VOCATIONAL EDUCATION & TRAINING) NATIONAL CERTIFICATE After finishing Grade 10, a student can obtain Certificates of Competency (COC) or a National Certificate Level I (NC I). After finishing a Technical-Vocational-Livelihood track in Grade 12, a student may obtain a National Certificate Level II (NC II), provided he/she passes the competency-based assessment of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA). NC I and NC II improves employability of graduates in fields like Agriculture, Electronics, and Trade. D. MODELING BEST PRACTICES FOR SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL In SY 2012-2013, there are 33 public high schools, public technical-vocational high schools, and higher education institutions (HEIs) that have implemented Grade 11. This is a Research and Design (R&D) program to simulate different aspects of Senior High School in preparation for full nationwide implementation in SY 2016-2017. Modeling programs offered by these schools are based on students interests, community needs, and their respective capacities.

6. Nurturing the Holistically Developed Filipino (College and Livelihood Readiness, 21st Century Skills) After going through Kindergarten, the enhanced Elementary and Junior High curriculum, and a specialized Senior High program, every K to 12 graduate will be ready

to go into different paths may it be further education, employment, or entrepreneurship. Every graduate will be equipped with: 1. Information, media and technology skills, 2. Learning and innovation skills, 3. Effective communication skills, and 4. Life and career skills.

The K-12 Basic Education Program is still on its process of implementation, wherein evaluation is not yet fully seen, it is expected that in the year 2016, The K-12 Basic Education Program will be fully implemented, with graduates coming from its Grade 6 and Grade 12 students.

ZAMBOANGA CITY STATE POLYTECHNIC COLLEGE

TEACHER EDUCATION DEPARTMENT

Curriculum Development

THE K-12 BASIC EDUCATION PROGRAM

SUBMITTED BY: FRANCIS IAN L. OFENDOREYES, R.N.