Youth group criticizes K to 12

CEBU, Philippines - With President Benigno Aquino reaching his second year in office, the Youth Against Debt has questioned yet again his initiative to push for the K to 12 program.

The youth group said the program is a wrong solution to the complex problems besetting the country's educational system.

The group's spokesperson, Erika Erro, said it is unfortunate that while government is asserting international standards with K to 12, it has ignored the international benchmark for government spending in education, which is six percent of the Gross National Product (GNP).

“Without adequate funds, even the best education programs are bound to fail,” Erro said.

Citing data from the Freedom from Debt Coalition (FDC), Erro pointed out that if the country abides by the UNESCO standard of a six percent GNP provision for universal quality education, the Philippine government has an accumulated education debt of P3.56 trillion from 1986 to 2011.

Erro also said that the K to 12 program divides further the meager allocation for education.

"Before, the basic education budget is only divided by 10 levels; six for elementary and four for high school. Now, the virtually similar amount will be shared by 13 levels. This is the wrong mathematical operation to solve the complicated problems of our educational system. Instead of division, it should be addition. The Aquino administration should add more fund support to the education sector,” Erro said.

“If President Aquino will remain blind and deaf to the grievances of the youth, it means that he is no different from previous administrations…that he will just continue the state abandonment of education,” she said further.

DepEd has jumpstarted the K to 12 program last year when it introduced the universal kindergarten program in all public schools.

K to 12 aims to produce high school graduates who have the competency to land a job and to be better prepared for college education and global opportunities.

DepEd's move is part of the education reform program under the Aquino administration, which seeks to produce high school graduates who are equipped with skills for the world of work, have better needed competencies for college education and ready for global opportunities. - Mitchelle L. Palaubsanon/JMO

Under the K to 12 program, the public school system will have kinder (which started in School Year 2011), six years of elementary education, four years of junior high school, and two more years of senior high school, which will give students more time to sharpen their employable skills.

In a recent visit to Cebu, Valenzuela City Mayor Sherwin Gatchalian said children with good foundation in their early childhood education will have an easier chance of stepping into the advanced curriculum in their primary education.

He said children should be given the best quality education to assure their future and become productive citizens. He also said that a good education is one of the crucial ways in combating poverty.

"Education is something that no one can take away from you. It is the best service we could give to our constituents," Gatchalian said. – (FREEMAN)