K-12 Frequently Asked Questions

Question
1. What is the K to 12 Program?

Answer
The K to 12 Program covers 13 years of
basic education with the following key
stages:
Kindergarten to Grade 3
Grades 4 to 6
Grades 7 to 10 (Junior High
School)
Grades 11 and 12 (Senior High
School)

2. Why are we now implementing 12 years of

basic education?

The Philippines is the last country in Asia

and one of only three countries worldwide
with a 10-year pre-university cycle (Angola
and Djibouti are the other two).
A 12-year program is found to be the best
period for learning under basic education.
It is also recognized standard for students
and professionals globally.

3. What has been done to get ready for K to

12? Are we really ready for K to 12?

This 2015, we are getting ready for

the implementation of Senior High School
(SHS) in SY 2016-2017.
We are on the fifth year of the
implementation of the K to 12 Program.
Our last mile is the Senior High School. All
221 divisions of the Department of
Education (DepEd) have finished planning
and have figures on enrolment a year in
advance. These plans were reviewed by a
separate team and finalized upon
consultation with other stakeholders.
Classrooms: DepEd has

built 66,813 classrooms from 2010 to 2013.

There are 33,608 classrooms completed
and undergoing construction in 2014. As of
DepEd is planning to establish 5,899
Senior High Schools nationwide. As of
April 30, 2015, DepEd has issued
provisional permits to 1,866 private
schools set to offer Senior High School in
2016.
Teachers: From 2010-2014,
DepEd has filled 128,105 new teacher
items. DepEd is targeting two kinds of
teachers: those who will teach the core
subjects, and those who will teach the
specialized subjects per track. DepEd will
hire 37,000 teachers for Senior High
School for 2016 alone.
Textbooks: Learning
materials are being produced for
elementary to junior high while textbooks
for Senior High School (which has
specialized subjects) are being bid out.
Curriculum: The K to 12
curriculum is standards- and competencebased. It is inclusive and built around the
needs of the learners and the community.
The curriculum is done and is available on
the DepEd website. It is the first time in
history that the entire curriculum is
digitized and made accessible to the public.
Private SHS: There are 2,199
private schools cleared to offer Senior High
School and over 200 more being processed.
4. How will K to 12 affect college
curriculum?

The College General Education

curriculum will have fewer units.

Subjects that have been taken up in

Basic Education will be removed from
the College General Education
curriculum.
5. Ive been hearing that a lof of people have
not been consulted regarding K to 12. Is
this true?

DepEd has always been transparent

in the planning and implementation
of K to 12. There have been regular
consultations with various sectors
since 2010, before the law was
passed, during the crafting of the IRR,
and during implementations. DepEd
representatives have also attended
various fora and conferences,
including legislative inquiries,
regarding K to12. We are open to
criticisms and suggestions regarding
this.

6. How can I help improve basic education?

Private partners can donate through
the Adopt-A-School program. A 150%
tax incentive will be provided for
every contribution.
Help spread awareness and
information on the K to 12 program.
7. Will this address the dropout problem?
The decongested curriculum will
allow mastery of competencies and
enable students to better cope with
the lessons. This should partly
address those who drop out from
school because they cannot cope

with schoolwork.
The curriculum will be learnercentered, enriched, and responsive
to local needs. It will also allow
students to choose electives/
specializations that suit their interest.
This should partly address those who
drop out because of lack of personal
interest in the curriculum offered.
DepEd will also continue to offer
programs such as home schooling
for elementary students and the
dropout reduction program for high
schools. These programs address
the learning needs of marginalized
students and learners at risk of
dropping out.
8. Why is the K to 12 program better than the
current program?

K to 12 offers a more balanced

approach to learning that will enable
children to acquire and master
lifelong learning skills (as against a
congested curriculum) for the 21st
century.
The current program crams a 12-year
curriculum into 10 years making it
difficult for a student to master the
competencies.
It will help in freeing parents of the
burden of having to spend for college
just to make their children
employable.

A student who completes K to 12 will

be equipped with skills competencies
and recognized certificates
equivalent to a two-year college
degree.
9. What would be the assurance that K to 12
graduates will be employed?

DepEd has entered into an

agreement with business
organizations and local and foreign
chambers of commerce and
industries that graduates of K to 12
will be considered for employment.
There will be a matching of
competency requirements and
standards so that 12-year basic
education graduates will have the
necessary skills needed by the labor
market.

10. How will the K to 12 help students

intending to pursue higher education?

The K to 12 basic education

curriculum will be in accordance with
the college readiness standards from
CHED which set the skills and
competencies needed of K to 12
graduates who wish to pursue higher
education.
CHED will download its general
education subjects to Grades 1 to 12
ensuring mastery of core
competencies for K to 12 graduates.
This may lead to a reduction in the
number of years of college courses
resulting to a decrease in educational

expenses of household.

References:
Questions 1-6: www.deped.gov.ph/k-to-12/faq
Questions 7-10: www.depedpines.com