Solon supports call to review K to 12 law

An opposition lawmaker on Thursday expressed support to calls to review the Enhanced Basic Education Act or the K to 12 law.

Assistant Minority Leader and ACT Teachers party-list Rep. France Castro cited the need to revisit the K to 12 program that was crafted during the Aquino administration with a view to addressing issues about the law.

Among the concerns raised were inadequate salaries of teachers and other education personnel, the chronic underfunding for the requirements of basic education, work overload for the teachers and, quality of education the students receive.

“The K to 12 program has brought with it a countless number of problems with shortages in facilities, learning materials, and lacks support for adequate salaries and benefits for teachers and non-teaching personnel which ultimately compromises the quality of education the students receive,” Castro said.

“Teachers, students, education support personnel, and the parents experience first-hand the effects of the shortages, under-funding, and low salaries brought by the implementation of the K to 12 program, their clamor should be heard.”

Castro said the K to 12 program did not enhance the curriculum of basic education. It simply mandated additional two years of high school and even condensed lessons to the pupils leaving behind many.

“We should also remember that the removal of Philippine History as a separate subject in high school and the removal of the Filipino language and Filipino literature in tertiary education as required units as a result of the implementation of the K to 12 program. Moves in the policies for education that would worsen the education crisis in the country,” Castro stressed. Maricel V. Cruz

She added “government has to put up a nationalist, scientific and mass-oriented curriculum and system of education, and at the same time, create more decent jobs with decent wages through national industrialization which would make available millions of jobs for Filipinos.”

Castro also stated the budget for the K to 12 program has been increasing every year without addressing perennial problems of shortages in classrooms, learning materials, teachers, and education support personnel, among others.

These shortages are endured every day by teachers, other school personnel, parents, and students which were highlighted and have worsened by the pandemic, she added.