The Need for K to 12: A Friendly Guide for the Miguelians (and for all junior high completers)

GEARED UP. The school offers its programs for Grade 11 for S.Y. 2016-2017

      Has anybody explained to you the essence of K to 12? Did you even take time to research on what it is you are embarking on? The Miguelians then would like to expound these things to you in a way that even your skeptic mom and dad would be convinced. Ready?
        The Facebook page of the Department of Education (DepEd), if you know, has been plagued with complaints and depressing comments about the implementation of the K to 12 program. Complaining has become a part of a democratic country, indeed. They resent the government’s firmness in carrying it out without having fully furnished schools in terms of equipment, facilities, and learning resources such as textbooks and modules. They lament on the financial struggle they will face the moment they enroll their children to Senior High Schools. TV documentaries even reveal vividly the sad fate of those who would not be able to make it to Grade 11 due to poverty, despite the government’s promises of available scholarships.
      Such grief is real but K to 12 program, signed into law in 2013, has so many benefits to offer. It’s a form of change that will certainly instigate empowerment among the youth and eventually progress in the country. Through K to 12, which has four major tracks, namely, Academic, Tech-Voc Livelihood, Sports, and Arts and Design according to DepEd Secretary Armin Luistro, ‘students can be aware of choosing the tract that suits their interest while at the same time matches the available resources as well as job opportunities.’ Moreover, in an article by Isagani Cruz published by The Philippine Star last year, he explained the three reasons why three years have been added to the basic education cycle.

First of all, it is not enough, whether students will work abroad or not, to be just competitive. It’s now necessary to become globally competitive college graduates because in other countries, everybody has to complete at least 12 years of pre-university education. Prior to the infusion of this program, the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) had already planned and tried to revise the college curriculum to align it to those of ASEAN countries. Definitely, nobody wants to be left behind when it comes to innovating the education landscape, right? Nobody wants to be disadvantaged. Also, before K to 12 was even conceived, Philippine graduates had hardly known college curriculum; consequently, for an instance, Engineering majors had to waste time learning Calculus (Isagani, 2015).

Second, the root of the prevalent unemployment or underemployment has constantly bothered us. Graduates are either too young to be employed or unskilled to work. Thanks to the Technical Education and Skills Development  Authority (TESDA) because that deficiency can be remedied---but money issue is still disturbing. K to 12 has been implemented to address that dilemma.

Lastly, entrepreneurship in the country needs to be catapulted to a new height. What’s the common reason---not overpopulation---of so much poverty in Metro Manila? Lack of jobs and necessary skills, and illiteracy. The youth therefore have to be engaged in self-sustaining activities which can contribute to their and to the Philippine growth. We hear a lot of real life stories that confirm how Filipinos can alleviate poverty by getting into small or big scale businesses. Before they were able to succeed in their respective ventures, they had been surely trained and equipped with indispensable knowledge. If graduates do not want to work for other enterprises or companies (or they cannot be hired) then at least, they should be able to establish their own businesses to generate stable income.

The Miguelians would surely love to tell you more about this issue of K to 12 which concerns you as graduates. Feel free to drop us some questions or comments so we’ll know if this has been helpful to you. Bear in mind also that your Alma Mater, Casa de San Miguel Montessori School, is proud of your achievements knowing the fact that it has thoroughly equipped you in academics and in other ways.

E-mails can be sent to themiguelians@gmail.com.

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REFERENCES:

Cruz, I. Immersion as mode of delivery. The Philippine Star. 17 September, 2015: 16

Flores, H. DepEd to hold early registration for SHS. The Philippine Star. 17 September, 2015: 16