The Palace on Monday said it would be up to the House of Representatives to review the effectiveness of the K to 12 or 12-year basic education program.
This came after Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano said the House lawmakers agreed the program was “not living up to its promise.”
“We in the House are of the consensus that K-12 is not living up to its promise, which is, after you finish senior high school, you don’t have to go to college. You gain skills to be employed,” Cayetano said.
Cayetano also said the program gave senior high school students the option to take vocational and technical subjects but many schools still lacked equipment that would prepare students for future employment.
“We will leave it to the wisdom of Congress,” Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo said when sought for comment.
In a statement Sunday, the Department of Education welcomed the plan of the House of Representatives to review the effectiveness of the K to 12 curriculum.
Congress and DepEd have worked closely together since the previous budget hearings to address the issues of the K to 12 Program.
A dedicated review session will provide an appropriate venue to comprehensively discuss concerns about the Program and plot out corresponding solutions.
With an additional P650 million in the proposed 2020 budget specifically for the improvement of the 12-year basic education program, DepEd commits to coordinate and collaborate with the members of the Congress in strategizing effective implementation of the Program in adherence to Republic Act No. 10533 or the Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013 for the benefit of the learners.
DepEd also hopes the outcome of the review will spur renewed commitment and initiatives among lawmakers, advocates, and other stakeholders in aid of realizing the K to 12 program’s overall goal—hone holistically developed Filipino learners with 21st century skills.
In its statement, DepEd said: “We welcome the review of K to 12 to allow DepEd to provide its status, identify the gains and challenges, and share the direction of its program and policies on K to 12.
“We have started this in the budget hearings, but a focused review may provide a fuller platform to discuss these. The law also provides for Joint Congressional Oversight to monitor and evaluate implementation.”
In his speech last year during the San Beda University’s commencement exercises, President Rodrigo Duterte said his youngest daughter, Veronica, had asked him to scrap the program.
“That’s what the youngster said, but of course, it’s Congress that will decide,” Panelo said.
The critics of the program had warned that the public school system might not be ready for K to 12 due to lack of classrooms, facilities, equipment, and manpower.
Many parents have complained that through K to 12, the government just added two years of expenses for the high school education of their children.
The Department of Education has received increases in its annual budget in recent years because of the funding requirement of the K to 12, the flagship education program of the Aquino administration.
The government started to implement the program in 2012-2013 school year.