The document discusses the implementation of the K to 12 curriculum in the Philippines, focusing on the implications for private high schools, particularly Miriam College High School. Key issues include curriculum design changes, challenges in teacher qualifications and resources, and concerns regarding student financial burdens and employment opportunities post-graduation. Despite initial doubts about the K to 12 program, the researchers express a positive outlook on its potential benefits for the education system and society as a whole.

1. Current Issues in Curriculum Development in the Philippines
K to 12: Its Implications across the Curriculum
Focused on Private High School -- Miriam College High School
Submitted by:
Atienza, Grace Ella Marie E.
Bitang, Nica Vanissa
Saguano, Angelica A.
Sudario, Vanessa
Tandoc, Louise Ann F.
III- BS CDS
Submitted to:
Prof. Mary Francis Therese Pelias, M.A.

2. I. Current Issue or Trends
Recently, we have adapted the worldwide trend on education and that is having 12
years of basic education. The additional 2 years reinforced in the education system is one
of the biggest issues faced by the Philippine government. The implementation of K-12
widely affects education since it focuses on maximizing the students’ capacities and
potentials upon graduating from high school. In order to execute all these changes,
Philippine education system needed to make adjustments and policies that primarily
subject to the improving the quality of our graduates.
Specifically in Senior high school, one of the issues that has been circulating is
the change in their curriculum design. The enhanced curriculum has captured the
attention of students because schools are already implementing more distinct and specific
programs to be offered to their students from the Junior and Senior levels. One of the
goals of the K-12 program is for the students to be fully equipped upon graduating from
highschool. In order to meet this goal, schools executed a lot of adjustments in their
curriculum. The present senior high school curriculum is much more complex compared
from the past. Now, the students were asked to choose a track that they will specialize on.
All of them need to take required subjects and complete a certain number of hours. The
other subjects that they will take will depend on the track that they have chosen. If we
look into it, we can notice that it is like a college set up that we are used to in our country.
Since there were changes in the overall curriculum, issues on resources have
consecutively risen. Teachers, the major human resources in education, are expected to
have mastery in the subject they teach and be competent at the same time. Other issues

3. also mentioned that teachers in senior high school should now have a master’s degree or
at least have taken up masteral units. SHS teachers are expecting an increase in their
salaries since the qualification from them also increased. Some schools just hire from
their own faculty or from their industry partners. Another issue is where the schools,
especially the public schools, will get their funds to implement these changes. There were
complaints that only a few public schools have received a certain amount of money from
the government to acquire facilities and equipment needed for the implementation. One
of the concerns of the school is where they will get learning modules for the new
curriculum of senior high school. The Department of Education has not yet developed
instructional material for the new curriculum and they just get mostly from online
resources.
Aside from the problems mentioned, the implementation of K-12 also needs to
monitor and provide training programs for the teachers and guidance counsellors who are
responsible for collaborating with the Junior and Senior high school students. Since there
will be specialized tracks offered in Senior high school, all the teachers must have basic
knowledge regarding the new subjects that the schools will offer, specifically for the
technical-vocational subject that the students will be exposed to. The quality of the
information that these teachers will impart to their students can be improved if the
government highlights the importance of being exposed to developing new skills from
these core subjects through undergoing training and seminars. Furthermore, the changes
mandated in the schools will also affect the performances of the guidance counsellors
who are tasked to manage the participation of each student in taking the course program

4. offered by the school. It is their role to make sure that the students engage themselves in
the tracks they think they excel in and with that, guidance counsellors should be
well-oriented and enlightened about these changes. Just like the teachers, they should also
be monitored through these training programs.
Employment issues are also raised in line with this major topic. Looking at the
present situation in our society, the college graduates are expected to apply in the field
where they have majored in. With this, the students should be able to establish
connections with companies or industries that will help them get into their appropriate
fields. Analyzing this matter, if there will be graduates from the Senior high school and
college, will the local government units and other companies be able to provide
opportunities for all of them? Is there an assurance that all the graduates will work on the
respective fields they have acquired experiences from?
In addition, another problem arises regarding the quality of employees the
companies would hire for application. The competition between the Senior high school
and college graduates will increase due to the full implementation of the K-12
curriculum. Since the high school graduates will also have access to employment, in what
way will these companies base their approval for the applicants? Are the acquired
experiences of the high school graduates equally match the experiences of those who
graduated in college? Whose quality of work will appear to be more precise? Based on
what the researchers have gathered, it is an advantage for the high school students to have
earlier first-hand experiences regarding their specialization. But if the companies will
compare the number of years both graduates were exposed to in a specific field of study,

5. the college students will appear to be more familiar and oriented with the whole
application of what they have learned since they had undergone several years of training
in their course program.
Moreover, we should foresee the students who are not going to be fortunate
enough to take the financial expenses that have been brought by the additional 2 years of
basic education. The longer education cycle would be an added burden to households
and would later on translate to higher dropout rates. While the government can provide
free public education, the allowances, transportation, school supplies, and other schooling
expenses are still to be shouldered by the parents. According to some surveys, the number
of out-of-school-youths have increased and this can get worse if the government keeps on
setting aside all the issues especially now that the K-12 has been in the process of full
implementation.
II. Realities of the K to 12 Implementation
To know how the implementation of K to 12 in the Philippines affected the high
school department of Miriam College, the researchers interviewed Dr. Edizon Fermin, the
Miriam College high school principal. He is also a member of the National Basic
Education commission for the Catholic Education Association of the Philippines.

6. A. Changes
Dr. Fermin stated that it is crucial most especially in the set of changes that
Miriam College High School had to facilitate, were the review of the curriculum and its
compliance with the minimum requirements of the Department of Education’s curriculum
guides for K-12.
However, as early as s.y. 2011-2012 Miriam College High School started aligning
the curriculum competencies across learning areas and gave focus on looking at the
articulation of entry and exit competencies with the middle school. He also indicated that
currently grade school has grade 6,7 and 8, traditionally grade 6 is the exit point for the
six year elementary program and grades 7 and 8 is the first two years of Junior High
School. Grades 9 and 10 are now the the last two years of junior high school, traditionally
it is first and second year program and Miriam College High School is offering Senior
High School which is Grades 11 and 12 next year, In line with these, they need to
recalibrate the kind of content it’s covering; There will be no Philippine history because it
covered in grade 7, they are concerned with Science and Math courses, and no much to
worry about Communication Arts because they are ahead.
Dr. Fermin shared that he is excited about the changes that would be the offerings
that would take place in grades 11 and 12 because it is a Track Oriented Curriculum.
With regards to the said curriculum, they are offering academic strengths where the
students may choose a particular concentration, whether it’s in STEM (Science,
Technology, Engineering and Mathematics). Humanities and Social Studies or Business,
Accountancy and Management.

7. The other adjustment that Dr. Fermin put in the picture was the pedagogy. The
way faculty members give instruction. He highlighted that it is highly discipline based.
Therefore, they need faculty members to be trained in terms of thinking, science and
mathematics etc., because of the strict highly procedures that one must get three majors
and know how to connect learning areas so that the approach would be multidisciplinary.
B. What have been the successes and challenges in its implementation?
Miriam College is one of the few schools that are a K to 12 models school. They
are part of the research and development project that is being done by the government for
SHS. Also the Miriam College offers Grade 7 already even before the law has been
passed that’s why when the K to 12 program has been implemented, they only added one
more year in high school.
When the law has been passed, they were very quick in announcing their
readiness and the compatibility of the one that is being required by the DepEd because
they already have seniors electives program which are some of the courses that are being
offered in the college that is also being offered in the high school which can help them
decide on what track they want. This made it easy for the school to distinguish what is
most useful to their students.
The shifting of the curriculum was a challenge for them because there will be
certain existing school goals that may not be covered by the state goals. It was a struggle
for them since for the school the vision, mission and goals should still be instilled to the
students and should remain no matter what changes would happen. It’s a challenge for

8. them to connect the national curriculum without losing the school's vision, mission and
goals. They included steps that will equalize the K to 12 program and their own existing
program.
Also the strict obligatory dimension of the curriculum was a challenge for them
but they already found the solution for this which is the RA 10533 Section 10. 2 Rule 2
states that “The curriculum shall be flexible enough to enable and allow schools to
localize, indigenize and enhance the same based on their respective educational and
social contexts.” As what is said, schools can be flexible in their curriculum. This helped
them to solve this challenge.
Lastly informing the stakeholders, it’s a challenge since it would need a series of
orientation from policy makers, students and most specially the parents who worried a lot
about this program but as of now they are already in the process of it.
C. What are the plans to address the foreseen challenges?
According to Dr. Fermin, the implementation of the K-12 curriculum in Miriam College
Highschool was “not much of a big struggle”. He clearly stated that the main solution in
this matter is the continuous planning and coping with the development process, which
each school in the Philippines not only for MCHS, should be able to do. Every year, the
high school council facilitates curriculum development workshops for the teachers to
enhance their teaching skills and strategies. They have also included conceptualization of
the full transition to K to 12 in the teachers’ workshop as an adjustment brought by K to
12’s implementation. Aside from these, to respond to the questions and inform the

9. stakeholders of the school community, they have been conducting orientations. First, they
had to meet up with the policymakers to collaborate and discuss the changes that would
take effect. Second, they gave orientations to the students. More importantly, as Dr.
Fermin emphasized, they also held orientations for the parents since they are the ones
who, at first, were thinking about the shift of the curriculum as something to be worried
about. Last December, the high school department conducted another orientation about
the new senior high school program and its procedures. They called it the Career
Mentoring Day.
III. Reaction
A lot of issues were raised about the implementation of K-12 in the Philippine
education system. Many are worrying that it might not be effective. Others think that it
won’t make any improvement. But in the case of Miriam College High school, they are
looking positively for its results. Upon hearing both facts and opinions from a number of
resources, the researchers think that its implementation can result in large benefits to the
society of the Philippines and its citizens. There will be problems because of the changes
in the curriculum but the researchers believe that Filipinos will cope up soon. They’ll
learn, in no time, to make the best out of the skills they’ll acquire through the changes.
Better education system will bring better and more responsible citizens. Better citizens
will lead to a better country.