Make K to 12 work

There were debates and consultations before the government decided that Filipinos needed universal kindergarten and two more years of secondary education. Last year free kindergarten was introduced in public schools, to the delight of parents who could not afford the preparation for primary school enjoyed by children from better off families.

Now that the K to 12 program is set for full implementation, the nation should try to make it work. Students must now undergo two more years of secondary school before they can be accepted into institutions of higher learning. Among the critics of K to 12 are teachers who will be displaced by the additional years of high school. The government must make good on its promise to provide employment or various forms of assistance to those who will be displaced.

For families that feel financially burdened by the additional years, the government argues that K to 12 can be seen as an investment in preparing students for competition for jobs. Until the program was approved for implementation, the Philippines was one of just a handful of countries with only 10 years of preparation for higher education. Supporters of the program point out that people from countries with longer high school years tend to have an edge in landing jobs overseas. K to 12 aims to make the Philippines at par with these countries.

Critics of the program point out that the additional years will merely repeat what has already been taught in the first four years of high school. This is disputed by K to 12 proponents, who say that the program is meant to enhance secondary education and improve Filipinos’ academic performance and job competitiveness.

Only the implementation of K to 12 will show who’s right. The program is unlikely to be scrapped at this time, and it will be in the nation’s interest if K to 12 is given a chance. All concerned sectors must do their part to make it work.