K- 12 , PROFICIENCY UPGRADE OR DOWNGRADE? APRIL SALCEDO TUBA Philippine President Benigno Simeon C.

Aquino III has given emphasis on education as his priority upon taking the seat in Malacaang paving the way for the immediate and rigid implementation of the K-12 advocacy. School year 2012- 2013 have been undergoing lots of changes and transitions as it marks the start of the new curricula. In the previous years, Philippines has been landing the bottom ranks for the international Math and Science test and this, according to some, has been attributed to the low comprehension skills of the learners. This prompted the inclusion of the use of Mother Tongue not just as a medium of instruction but as a separate subject. The government and the people from the educational institutions have expressed high hopes for the said advocacy. The Department of Education has been encouraging qualified applicants for the 60,000 vacant teaching positions. This is a governments way of saying that we are gearing for whatever necessary requirements well have for the successful implementation of the program. New books and learning guides were given to teachers and students in the first year of the advocacys launching. Trainings have been conducted to give the teachers in the first grade and seventh grade ample knowledge and strategies which they are now utilizing in efficiently facilitating learning under the K-12 curricula. With our ambitious aim to produce globally competitive graduates, aided by the allocation of 2.6% of Gross Domestic Product to the total Education Budget, do we

really think the employment of Mother Tongue will reinforce what were aiming for? Since we look forward to being at par with the neighbouring progressive countries, it is not the proficiency of the universal language that deserves a much urgent call? The mandatory implementation of the k-12 leading to the mastery of the native dialect can veer from its original aim causing learners to be too much grounded to the mother tongue. As a result, others say, learners tend to have harder time in bridging the gap of the mastered mother tongue and the proficiency of the universal language. At the end of the day, though, no matter which side youre on , the linguistic proficiency upgrade or downgrade with the intervention of the K-12 Mother Tongue inclusion lies in our hands. Let us take one step at a time ensuring that each step that we make is geared for the betterment of the Filipinos, specifically in the improvement of our quality of education.