Vice President and Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary Sara Duterte said parents and guardians need to force their children to go to school because education can prevent students from being “exploited” and from being recruited by terrorism groups.
Duterte, who spoke during Koronadal City’s 83rd founding anniversary and the 23rd Hinugyaw Festival Tuesday night, Duterte emphasized how quality education, coupled with the guidance of parents, could keep the children from being vulnerable to terrorism, GMA News reported.
“Our goal is to equip our children and youth with conflict transformation skills and the strength and discernment to resist recruitment into radical and terror groups,” Duterte, quoted by GMA News, said.
She reiterated that the DepEd is working on a national peace curriculum which is the agency’s “long-term solution to insurgency and conflict in our country.”
“Education is a liberating force. I cannot overemphasize to all the adults here in Koronadal— we must force our children to go to school. The Department of Education is implementing a stronger child protection mechanism in our school communities—another layer of defense against the recruitment and exploitation of children and youth,” she added
Duterte earlier said that DepEd has been developing a program in the basic education curriculum that would teach Kinder to Grade 12 students to become peace builders in communities.
Malacañang press briefer Daphne Oseña-Paez earlier said the DepEd is expected to present a revised Kinder to Grade 12 (K-12) curriculum by Jan. 30, beating a July deadline set by the Palace.
“The Department of Education, the Secretary VP [Vice President] Inday Sara Duterte-Carpio presented the plans for inclusive learning, support for teachers, and improving the curriculum. The DepEd will be presenting a revised K-12 curriculum for basic ed on January 30th,” she said in a Palace press briefing.
Last July, shortly after the President’s State of the Nation address, the Vice President said the DepEd had until this July next year to finalize its review of the K-12 program. The agency under former Education Secretary Leonor Briones already finished the review for the lower grades.
“We were given by President Marcos one year, this School Year 2022-2023, to give a final answer about our K-12 program here in the country,” she said.
A Pulse Asia Survey last year, commissioned by Senator Win Gatchalian, also showed that 44 percent of 1,200 respondents were unhappy with the current system — 16 percentage points higher compared to the results of a similar survey done in September 2019.
“It is clear from the voices of our countrymen that they are not satisfied with the K-to-12 program,” Gatchalian, who chairs the Senate Committee on Basic Education, Arts and Culture, said in a statement.
“This is because its promises are not being fulfilled and it has only become an additional burden on our parents and students,” the lawmaker added.
Implemented in 2012, the current K-12 program in the country covers kindergarten, six years of primary education, four years of junior high school, and two years of senior high school to prepare graduates for tertiary education, middle-level skills development, employment, and entrepreneurship.
Mr. Marcos earlier asked Duterte-Carpio to carefully review the K-12 program, citing the need to “develop” and “refine” the great pool of Filipino talent. He also wanted the country’s literacy rate to improve under his administration.