K to 12 Program: Booming or Failing?
The K to 12 Program is a major part of the campaign platform of our previous president, President Benigno Aquino III. K to 12 has kindergarten as base, followed by six years of elementary (Grade 1-6), four years of junior high (Grade 7-10), and two years of senior high (Grade 11-12). This program has implemented in 2011 and was signed by the law back in 2013. The Department of Education, cited the Filipino students' low scores when it comes to national and international tests, and the Philipines was often fourth from last, or worse, in the Trends of Math and Sciences Study. The Dep Ed claimed that adding two more years will give the students time in mastering their essential competencies and skills, with the objectives of receiving high academic grades especially in math, science, english, and filipino. Now, that it has implemented and has applied, is it more practical to study two more years? The downside of the K to 12 program has discovered. The parents have to sell out more money to provide the needs of their children for education. Some students have to leave their house and abide in a boarding house just to meet the strand that they want in a particular school. Because we all know that the Philippines is not yet ready, the K-12 said to cure all the deficiencies -- when there is not even enough numbers of trained teachers for senior high students where they are supposed to learn employable skills. Every family is dreaming to have a graduate student, and they are wanting to find a job early, earn money in order to have a greater life for them to help the other members of the family. Other downside is that the numbers of drop out will increase, because studying two more extra years will bore a student and that is reality. However, the K to 12 program contributes a greater impact to the skills of a student. In elementary grades it helps to improve their reading and writing skills, ability to comprehend and compute. The two years of senior high school intended to provide time for students to consolidate acquired academic skill and competencies. Graduates are taught and trained to possess competencies relevant to the market job. They improved their skills and developed more skills to become more competitive enough because of the help of the added two years in school. The curriculum allowed specialization in science and technolgy, music and arts, agriculture and fisheries, sports, business and entreprenuership. The graduates of K to 12 program will acquire mastery of basic competencies and be more emotionally mature. Because of the K to 12 Program, the graduates are now prepared for higher education due to the enhanced curriculum that will provide relevant content, basic education will ensure sufficient and efficient mastery of core subject to its graduates to choose higher education if they choose to. We will experience a better educated society provides a strong foundation for long-term socio-economic development because of the K to 12 Program. This program will contribute to the development of emotionally and intellectually matures individuals. They are now capable of pursuing productive employment or entrepreneurship or higher education. Education is very important to us, the root of it may be bitter but the fruit of it is sweet. It is the ticket to our success. It deals with a big role in our better future. For us, the K to 12 is implemented so that we can produce a student that is more literate, and competitive in a very good way, in able to find jobs more easily and can contribute to the country's pride as well as the econom of our country. We should think that this program has a great value in our lives and can help us to become a good contributor of this country, and that helping hand will remain until our last breath.