Stakeholders from 4 regions meet for K+12 pre-summit confab

CEBU, Philippines - Close to a hundred of parents, students, teachers, local chief executives, and representatives of the business sector and non-governmental organizations from Regions 6, 7, 8 and 9 will met today, December 7, for the K to 12 Pre- Summit Conference at Ecotech Center in Sudlon, Brgy. Lahug, Cebu City.

A-Teacher partylist Rep. Mariano Piamonte, Jr. was invited guest speaker in the one day conference to share his knowledge and concerns over the implementation of the program as well as to report his accomplishments in the House of Representatives.

For school year 2009-2010, the partylist partnered with the Commission on Higher Education in the implementation of a Congressional Study Grant Program, which granted scholarships to 100 beneficiaries, 27 of them were students in first year college, 35 in second year, 31 in third year and seven in fourth year.

DepEd-7 regional director Recaredo Borgonia said the conference will serve as a platform for the government to present to the local stakeholders the proposed K to 12 implementation plan and generate commitment to the program.

The K to 12 program has been designed at improving the quality of high school graduates by adding two more years in senior high school to the current 10-year curriculum. 

Under the added two years, students may choose their preference from the following specializations: arts, sports, agriculture or technical-vocational courses.

Borgonia said the program was introduced as K+12, but the DepEd revised it to K to 12, saying the education cycle should be viewed as a continuum.

The pre-summit conference will serve as a platform for the government to present to the local stakeholders the proposed K to 12 implementation plan and generate commitment to the program, he said. - THE FREEMAN