Capitol to help DepEd with K+12

CEBU, Philippines - The Provincial Government of Cebu will complement the implementation of the Enhanced K+12 Basic Education Curriculum.

Under the administration of Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia, the Province is distributing school supplies to elementary pupils.

As to the implementation of K+12, Garcia said that the direct impact is for the Province to continue supplying school supplies longer to the same students or pupils.

“That is the commitment that I can give right now that we will continue to provide school supplies to our school children,” Garcia said.

The Province is also helping the Department of Education (DepEd) in constructing school buildings, with more than 600 classrooms already completed province-wide.

The Province is also augmenting school teachers paid under the Provincial School Board to address the problem of lack of teachers in some schools.

Although no proposed bill in Congress was filed for the implementation of the program, DepEd 7 Director Recaredo Borgonia is optimistic that the first phase of the Enhanced K+12 Basic Education Curriculum will be implemented this year without a hitch.

In a media forum at NS Royal Pensione, Borgonia said that it is President Benigno Aquino III who is strongly pushing for the program.

Borgonia said that the Philippines remains to be the only country which has ten years of basic education while others already have 12.

The program will begin this year, school year 2011-2012, in which children are mandated to attend kindergarten. Next year, school year 2012-2013, the new curriculum adopting the 12-year basic education will be implemented.

One year will be added each to elementary and high school curriculum. The first batch of students under the new curriculum will be graduating on 2018.

Borgonia said students who will be experience the K+12 program will be more equipped and prepared for college and subsequently in looking for jobs, unlike those who choose to work right after high school, but could not legally enter into contracts.

Taking various proposals and studies into consideration, DepEd is proposing the so-called K-6-4-2 model, which involves kindergarten, six years of elementary education, four years of junior high school (grades 7 to 10), and two years of senior high school (grades 11 to 12). The two years of senior high school intend to provide time for students to secure acquired academic skills and competence.

DepEd contended that Kindergarten and 12 years of quality basic education is a right of every Filipino. It will be provided by the government and will be free. Those who go through the 12-year cycle will get an elementary diploma, a junior high school diploma, and a senior high school diploma. (FREEMAN)