GMA News recalls  K-12 issues

CHEERS TO GMA News Digital’s Need To Know episode on the K-12 Basic Education Program. Published on August 5, the report by Jay Lord Bade recalled issues that challenge its effectiveness, stressing the need for a review ahead of the return  to face to face classes in elementary and secondary schools.

The report recalled that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., in his first State of the Nation Address, promised a comprehensive review of the K-12 program’s “viability.” GMA cited a June 2022 Pulse Asia survey that found that 44 percent of respondents are dissatisfied with the program.

Reviewing K-12’s goals

GMA reviewed the program’s intent. Republic Act 10533, or the Basic Education Act of 2013, seeks to equip learners with greater competencies to address evolving challenges. K-12 added two years of Senior High School (SHS) to basic education, during which students are allowed to choose from the following tracks: academic, technical-vocational-livelihood (TVL), or sports and arts. 

After completion of SHS, students can pursue employment based on their chosen tracks. The report quoted the late President Benigno Aquino III, who stressed that the reforms would produce globally competitive graduates.

The report underlined some of the tracks’ key goals. Under the academic track is the general academic strand that those who wish to pursue higher education can take. TVL provides training courses in  agriculture and electronics, while those who pass 

the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority’s (TESDA) competency-based assessments are issued official competency certificates for employment.

Academic performance and employability

Bade focused on academic performance and employability to evaluate K-12’s effectiveness.

The report cited a study published October 2020 evaluating K-12 students’ test results. More learners had average or below average test scores. According to the study, the test results indicate that despite reforms, learners are unprepared for both higher education and overseas employment.

Dr. Perforio Almerino, who was among the 2020 study’s authors, urged better  coordination among  TESDA, the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), and the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) in developing the competencies of learners.

GMA’s feature then zoomed in on the problem of unemployment among SHS graduates. The Philippine Statistics Authority, which recorded over 500,000 SHS graduates as unemployed in April 2022. Although “encouraged” by business leaders to hire K-12 finishers, the industry sector still considers college graduates for their greater years of study, explained Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry president George Barcelon.

Other issues prompt calls to Marcos gov’t

GMA cited another study on the problems encountered by public school teachers. Among the  “pressing problems” in the program’s implementation are the lack of learning materials, teaching equipment, and workshops to explain K-12 to teachers and parents.

Vladimer Quetua of the Alliance for Concerned Teachers echoed the findings to GMA. He described the problem with learning modules as prevalent even before the COVID-19 pandemic. He described the K-12 program as “needing improvement,” and urged  an increase in the education budget, as well as in the salaries  of teachers. The feature ended by recalling Marcos’ promise to end the “horror stories” in education.  

Media should maintain this focus on issues affecting the development of Filipino learners, and should  review education policy if officials are unable to do it themselves.