The document discusses the K-12 educational system implemented in the Philippines. It aims to provide 12 years of basic education by adding two additional years to senior high school (grades 11-12). This is intended to ensure integrated and seamless learning where students have ample time to master skills and knowledge. It also implements a mother tongue-based approach to build students' language proficiency. While some argue the country is not ready, supporters believe K-12 can help improve educational quality over time by giving students more opportunities to acquire skills needed for the future. Overall, K-12 aims to uphold the constitutional right to quality education and life for all Filipinos.

1. K-12 SYSTEM : A relieve or burden?
“The right to quality education and the right to quality life”, this is one of the basic rights of
every Filipino child which is in line with the 1987 Philippine Constitution.
Years before, a new educational system was proposed to be implemented in our country.
Year 2013, President Aquino signed the proposed reform in the current curriculum and was
introduced to all the public and private schools in our country in the same year.
Many of us opposed and are still questioning. Many of us as well pursued to make it happen
and are keep on supporting it. But, are we really aware of what K-12 curriculum means? Will it help
increase the poor performance of Filipino students in national examinations? Or will it just be an
additional burden for our country especially for the students?
According to DepEd, K-12 means “Kindergarten and the 12 years of elementary and secondary
education”. Kindergarten points to the 5- year old child who undertakes the standardized
curriculum for preschoolers. Elementary education refers to 6-years of primary schoo (Grades 1-6)
while Secondary education means 4 years of junior high school ( Grades 7-10) and an additional 2
years allotted for senior high school ( Grades 11-12). In short, “K-12 means extending basic
education by 2 years.
The K-12 aims to provide a quality 12-year basic education program that each Filipino is
entitled to, which happens first, by making the curriculum relevant to learners wherein they are
taught to acquire in-depth knowledge, skills, values and attitudes through continuity and
consistency across all levels and subjects.
Secondly, k-12 ensures integrated and seamless learning wherein subjects are taught from
the simplest concepts to more complicated ones. This second feature of K-12 gives ample time for
the students to master knowledge and skills which means that students’ learning become broader
as they go further, or, follows the pattern of expanding spiral.
The third feature of K-12 is the Mother Tongue-Based Multilingual Education says that
students’ proficiency is built through language. It is where the students are being taught using their
mother tongue or the dialect they can understand better and prefer to use. Furthermore, K-12 allots
time for discussing on issues regarding environmental awareness and technological advancements.
Lastly, with the additional 2 years in high school, students may choose a specialization
depending on what they are apt to do and what their interest are. At this stage, the students are
starting to open their career tracks.
People may say that our country is not yet ready for this big shift in the country’s basic
education curriculum, if then, when is the right time? I know a lot of schools in our country do not
have adequate conducive to learning facilities, but at this time the first batch of students under the
new curriculum for high school is in Grade 8 perhaps in 4 years time, the inadequate number of
classrooms in different schools will be alleviated. Regarding the issue of the readiness of the
teachers, there will be no much problem in dealing with this because different seminars were

2. conducted and are planned to be conducted. Moreover, teachers are known for being versatile.
They know how to deal and adapt to whatever change in the curriculum may be.
We adapted this K-12 curriculum not to conform to other countries that have been using it
for years, but to uplift the quality of education we have right now. Yes, k-12 has its flaws but we still
have to look on the brighter side it can bring us. It is not a secret to everyone that everything has its
positive and negative results but despite the issues that hinder, this is already implemented.
Together with its implementation is the hope that K-12 curriculum could help students acquire
knowledge, values and skills that are essential in having a better future and a chance of better job
opportunities. Indeed, the implementation of K-12 curriculum is the first step of having a reform in
the system of education we have. K-12 is what we’re waiting for to provide the quality education
and quality life to every Filipinos.
-by Rhea Ferlyn E. dela Peña
3SED-EN