The K-12 program in the Philippines aims to improve students' skills in mathematics, science, and linguistics to better prepare them for the global job market. It adds two years to the basic education curriculum, for a total of 12 years. While the goal of better preparing students is noble, there are significant concerns about the financial burden it places on families and the lack of facilities and teacher training to properly implement the new program, which could undermine its goals if not addressed.

1. DONNA B. GABION, Ph.D.
Professor
EDUCATION 221
CURRENT TRENDS,
ISSUES AND
PROBLEMS IN
EDUCATION
K to 12 curriculum
in the Philippines
Discussant:
GEREON DELA CRUZ JR

2. BRIEF BACKGROUND: The K to 12 system aims to improve Filipino students' skills in mathematics,
science, and linguistics to further exhibit competence in the global job market. With the new
curriculum, the Department of Education promises to offer higher quality education through the
strands.
In 2012 the Philippines launched its "K to
12" Program, a comprehensive reform of its
basic education. Through this reform, the
Philippines is catching up with global
standards in secondary education and is
attaching a high value to kindergarten.
In a historic moment for advocates of
educational equity, President Benigno
Aquino III approved Republic Act (RA)
10533, signing into law the K+12 program
on May 15, 2013.
The K-12 program offers a decongested 12-
year program that gives students sufficient
time to master skills and absorb basic
competencies. Students of the new system
will graduate at the age of 18 and will be
ready for employment, entrepreneurship,
middle-level skills development, and higher
education upon graduation.
K to 12 graduates should have higher
earning potential as they will be more
competent and skilled. As a result of the K
to 12 Program, particularly the more
specialized education in Senior High School,
CHED is exploring the possibility
of decreasing the number of years of
certain degree programs in college.
K-12 system aims to improve Filipino
students' mathematical, scientific, and
linguistic competence. With the new
curriculum, DepEd promised to offer higher
quality education through tracks. Each track
will give students enough time to master a
field and enhance their skills.

4. In recent years, the Philippine educational
system has undergone major changes in
both execution and duration. In a bid to
improve the competency of Filipino
students and follow the international
standards of education, schools and
educational institutions have transitioned
into using the K to 12 programs in the
Philippines, effectively adding three years
to the former curriculum with the
establishment of a junior and senior high
school level.
While the end goal of the Philippine K to 12
curriculum is a noble one, it has not been
met with unanimous agreement, with
various critiques slamming the rushed
transition to the program and the lack of
facilities and training for educators.

5. What Are the Advantages
of K to 12 Program in the
Philippines?
• Before the K to 12 program was
implemented in the Philippine
Education System, primary and
secondary education in the Philippines
used to entail only 10 years of
schooling, of which the first six years
covered elementary school and the last
four years covered high school.

6. What Are the Advantages of K
to 12 Program in the
Philippines?
When the K to 12 educational program was signed into law in May 2013
by the late President Benigno Aquino III, teachers and institutions were
both hopeful and dubious about what it had in store for both the
students and the schools around the country. Some of the advantages
that were presented by the Philippine K to 12 programs revolved around
better student training, and better competency of students on a global
scale – with the officials claiming that Filipino students who graduate
from senior high school will not only be ready for employment but will
also be up to par with the international education standards.

7. What Are the Disadvantages of K to 12
Program in the Philippines?
K to 12 has also been bombarded with criticisms, mainly on the financial
ability of Filipinos to support their children through three additional years
of school. Under the current setup, two more years of school means
thousands more in expenses. And under the K to 12 Program, which
requires students to choose one of three SHS tracks in their curriculum,
things are about to get pricier.

8. What Are the Disadvantages of
K to 12 Program in the
Philippines?
Since it was signed into law, there have been five petitions
and counting from students, teachers and parents claiming
that the new K to 12 educational program will, among
other issues, aggravate the financial situation of Filipino
families and force millions to drop out of school.
Unfortunately, this additional financial burden also forces
thousands or even millions of students to drop out of
school due to additional educational expenses. As much as
this educational development can help students, Filipino
parents and families are ill-equipped.

9. What Are the
Disadvantages
of K to 12
Program in the
Philippines?
In a study done by youth solon Kabataan Party-List
(KPL), students who are going to be entering senior
high school will need to access as much as
PHP200,000 for the next two additional years.
Computing the food and transportation allowance of
average students of P100 to P150 for 200 school
days, families will need to produce around P20,000
to P30,000 annually. Meanwhile, calculating the cost
of school supplies and other miscellaneous expenses,
such as uniforms and workbooks, based on
Department of Trade and Industry data and case
studies from Araullo High School, KPL estimates
another P10,000 burden for parents brought on by
the K to 12 program.

10. But aside from the additional expenses, the
financial issue may further be aggravated since not all
public high schools will be able to offer senior high school
education. According to DepEd data, almost half of public
schools around the country will not be implementing SHS
courses due to the lack of classrooms and teachers. In fact,
less than half, or 3,839, out of 7,976 public high school
nationwide will implement SHS courses, according to the
DepEd’s list of K to 12 program-ready schools. To
graduate from senior high, public-school students may be
forced to transfer to private schools or public schools that
are farther from their residences. These translate to higher
tuition fees and equipment for vocational courses, on top
of higher transportation costs.

11. K to 12 May Just Be a
Band-Aid Solution for
Philippine Education
While public schools are now offering
free education and better equipment, a lot of
Philippine towns and villages still lack access to
educational institutions within their
communities. From students needing to tread
mountains and travel through rivers and
teachers needing to pay for their own supplies,
the educational system and government support
is still lacking, and adding two more years to the
overall curriculum may not be as perfectly
executed by all schools around the country.

12. K to 12 May Just Be a Band-Aid Solution
for Philippine Education
In the end, before DepEd attempts to improve the country’s basic
education curriculum at par with supposed international standards, the
government needs to make sure if the youth can enroll at all. At the
current state of things, education—more importantly, public education—
has come with a hefty price tag. And what good is any touted
enhancement of education if the youth cannot access it in the first place?