EDITORIAL - Give K-12 a chance

After several years of debates, the Kindergarten-to-12th grade scheme is being fully implemented starting this school year. The first day of classes today is expected to be marked by protests from teachers displaced by the additional two years of basic education as well as some parents complaining about the extra expenses.

K-12, however, is seen as a necessary adjustment if Philippine education is to keep up with more competitive nations, which allot the same number of years to elementary and high school education.

There are valid concerns that the additional year in grade school and another in high school will be wasted on redundant lessons. The public will hold education officials to their assurance that this will not be the case. Teachers displaced by the additional two years must also be given assistance.

Under K-12, kindergarten has also been made mandatory and universally free in public schools. This allows children even from low-income households to catch up with their more affluent counterparts who spend two or three years in kiddie or preparatory schools before entering first grade.

K-12 is a key component of efforts to improve the quality of Philippine education. Over half a century ago, the Philippines was considered a regional leader in education. A combination of factors, among them insufficient resources plus the exodus of qualified teachers who wanted better paying jobs abroad, led to a progressive deterioration in the quality of education.

National competitiveness has been the casualty. In recent years, efforts have been made to correct the slide. The outgoing Aquino administration has substantially addressed shortages in textbooks, school buildings and rooms, and lured more teachers by raising compensation. Efforts are being undertaken to reverse the deterioration in English proficiency.

K-12 is among the more dramatic schemes to boost the quality of education. The incoming Duterte administration has expressed support for the scheme, which aims to improve the abilities of the nation’s most valuable resource, its people. The nation must give K-12 a chance and cooperate in making it work.