Is the K-12 model good for the Philippine education system?

       The enhanced K-12 program, or the Department of Education’s (DepEd) proposal to overhaul the basic and secondary education curriculum by adding two more years to the system is arguably one of the most drastic and controversial programs of the Aquino administration.

The program is proposed to start in school year 2012-2013 for Grade 1 and first year high school students with the target of full implementation by SY 2018-2019.

      K-12 has been met with criticism from youth and student groups, teachers, parents and the academic community. The DepEd, for its part, appears determined to enact the program with its proposed budget catering mostly to preparing the grounds for its eventual implementation.

The DepEd argues that the K-12 program will be the solution to yearly basic education woes and the deteriorating quality of education. Critics, however, counteract that the education crisis needs to be addressed more fundamentally and adding more school years would only exacerbate the situation.

Dissecting K-12

     The K-12 model is an educational system for basic and secondary education patterned after the United States, Canada, and some parts of Australia. The current basic education system is also an archetype of American schooling but with a 10-year cycle.

      DepEd reasons that it is high time to adopt a K-12 system, attributing the low achievement scores and poor quality of basic education to the present school setup. Following wide protests over the proposal, the department released its official position defending K-12.


Opinyon

       Ang K+12 Program na gustong ipatupad ng ating pamahalaan ay isang panukalang may iba't-ibang epekto sa ating mga Pilipino lalong lalo na sa mga mag-aaral at mga magulang. Para sa akin ang programang ito ng pamahalaan ay makakatulong sa pag-unlad ng kaalaman ng ating mga mag-aaral sa mga pampubliko maging sa mga pampribadong pamahalaan. Tatagal ang taong igugugol nila sa kanilang paaralan kung saan mas lalo pa nilang mapapaunlad ang kanilang kakayahan at abilidad. Ngunit sa pagdadadagdag ng taon sa paaralan ay maaari ring magdulot ng kabagutan sa mga estudyante. Dahil mapapagod na silang pumasok at mag-aral kung dadagdagan pa ang mga taon sa elementarya. sekondarya at maging sa kolehiyo. 


       Madadadagdagan din ang mga bayarin at tustusin ng mga magulang para sa pagpapaaral ng kanilang mag anak. Mas lalong mahihirapan silang igapang ang pagpasok ng kanilang mga anak lalo pa't sobrang hirap na ng buhay ngayon. Pero marahil ay may ialn namang mga magulang na aayon sa programang ito ng pamahalaan. Wala namang masama sa panukalang ito. Mga iba't-ibang problema lamang ang maaaring maranasan kung sakaling mapatupad ito - ilan na rito ay ang problemang  pinansyal ng mga pamilyang Pilipino at ang magiging damdamin ng mga mag-aaral sa pagpasok sa paaralan.