K to 12 Students readied for ASEAN challenge

STUDENTS must both have life-oriented and work-oriented skills to be able to compete with their ASEAN neighbors.

According to experts, skills in demand today are those of complex communication and expert thinking including the adaptability to learn, adaptability to learn and performance of new tasks with little training.

Melinda LopezGarcia of the Professional Regulation Commission and member of the task force on Philippine Qualifications Framework says the real challenge for K to 12 is to harmonize its curriculum with the

Philippine Qualifications Framework.

Under this framework, it is expected that basic education, technical education, and high education will produce competent graduates with skills that can help secure employment.

DepEd-Baguio assistant superintendent Soraya Faculo during the ASEAN Forum at the Baguio City High School meanwhile said senior high school students under the K to 12 program can adopt in the challenges of ASEAN integration.

“In all of our community, not only from barangays, Baguio, or the whole of Cordillera but also in the greater Asia, after finishing their academic requirements in Grade 12, students will go through work immersion leading them into industries where their schools partnered,” Facullo said.

Facullo added partner industries play a big role, most especially on the demand for ASEAN and K to 12. These partner Industries affiliated with education and sought after by senior students after the K to 12 program although this partner industries may not be available for all school institutions most especially to far places.

“May mga kaunting problems pa rin tayo for example sa mga malalayong lugar where hindi naman available iyong mga resources so kailangan nilang maghanap,” added Facullo. Lauren Alimondo