Luistro: Philippines ready for K to 12 program

By Janvic Mateo (The Philippine Star) | Updated October 16, 2015 - 12:00am
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MANILA, Philippines - Education Secretary Armin Luistro yesterday reiterated that the Philippines is ready to implement the K to
12 program, which will add two years in the countrys basic education program.
Discussions on whether we are ready or not are over. It is time to simply act on an educational reform we should have done
many decades ago, he told The STAR.
Luistro was reacting to the statement of business tycoon Teresita Sy-Coson, the top executive of SM Investments Corp., who
said the country may not be ready for the changes.
Im not in favor of that... the Philippines is not a developed country and we do have a lot of poverty around. I was hoping we
would have a lot of vocational schools that would train for the different skills needed by the industries to grow, she was quoted
as saying during the Forbes Global CEO Conference earlier this week.
Sy-Coson, concurrent chairman of BDO Unibank Inc., said she believes a country like the Philippines needs to have many
vocational schools that can train people for various industries such as business process outsourcing.
But Luistro said the best way to determine the countrys readiness for the program is through the 30,000 classrooms the
Department of Education (DepEd) ordered constructed in 6,000 city and municipal schools.

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The budget for 2015 and 2016 includes all the other essential inputs of teachers, equipment and resources. We call on
everyone to help us and contribute constructively as we prepare for the opening of our Grade 11 classes by June 2016, said the
secretary.
Luistro added that more than 3,000 private schools, state universities and colleges, local universities and colleges and technical
vocational institutions have been given permits to open senior high schools with voucher support from the national government.
Earlier, various business groups expressed support for the K to 12 program.
The Enhanced Basic Education Act (Republic Act No. 10533, or the K-12 Law) is a milestone legislation that intends to bring the
Philippines up to par with the rest of the world, the different business groups led by the Philippine Business for Education
(PBEd) said in a statement.
K to 12 will foster the development of competent graduates who will join the workforce and contribute to national
competitiveness, it added.
Among the groups that signed the statement are the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Makati Business Club,
the American Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines and the Australian-New Zealand Chamber of Commerce of the
Philippines.

What has been done to get ready for K to 12? Are we really ready for K to 12?

SY 2011-2012: Universal Kindergarten implementation begins

SY 2012-2013: Enhanced curriculum for Grades 1-7 implemented

2013: K to 12 enacted into Law

2014: Curriculum for Grades 11-12 finished

This 2015, we are getting ready for the implementation of Senior High School (SHS) in SY 2016-2017.

We are on the fifth year of the implementation of the K to 12 Program. Our last mile is the Senior High
School. All 221 divisions of the Department of Education (DepEd) have finished planning and have figures on
enrolment a year in advance. These plans were reviewed by a separate team and finalized upon consultation
with other stakeholders.

Classrooms: DepEd has built 66,813 classrooms from 2010 to 2013. There are 33,608
classrooms completed and undergoing construction in 2014. As of DepEd is planning to establish 5,899 Senior
High Schools nationwide. As of April 30, 2015, DepEd has issued provisional permits to 1,866 private schools
set to offer Senior High School in 2016.

Teachers: From 2010-2014, DepEd has filled 128,105 new teacher items. DepEd is targeting two
kinds of teachers: those who will teach the core subjects, and those who will teach the specialized subjects per
track. DepEd will hire 37,000 teachers for Senior High School for 2016 alone.

Textbooks: Learning materials are being produced for elementary to junior high while
textbooks for Senior High School (which has specialized subjects) are being bid out.

Curriculum: The K to 12 curriculum is standards- and competence-based. It is inclusive and

built around the needs of the learners and the community. The curriculum is done and is available on the
DepEd website. It is the first time in history that the entire curriculum is digitized and made accessible to the
public.

Private SHS: There are 2,199 private schools cleared to offer Senior High School and over 200 more
being processed.

K to 12 Learners: a Generation of Innovators

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September 25, 2016
PASIG CITY, September 25, 2016 Tomorrows innovators are todays equipped young minds.
The fast-moving world of technology comes with the manifold challenge of ensuring that quality education is
still the best foundation of potential solutions to the countrys pressing social issues.

Tuwing may sakuna, kasalanan yan ng edukasyon; tuwing may napipiling lider na ayaw natin, kasalanan yan
ng edukasyon; kung bakit maraming mahirap sa ating bansa, kasalanan yan ng edukasyon. . . [Pero] ang
edukasyon ay hindi lamang responsibilidad ng DepEd, ito ay responsibilidad nating lahat, Department of
Education (DepEd) Secretary Leonor Magtolis Briones emphasized to the audience of Rapplers Social Good
Summit 2016 on Saturday.
The Department heeded the call to teach 21st century skills to young Filipinos with the implementation of K to
12 Basic Education Program. It signaled the innovation of the countrys education system to become learnercentered, inclusive, and researched-based. The standards-based and competence-based curriculum allows for
culture-responsive, contextualized, and relevant learning that is accessible for all.
Generation of Innovators
Tech-savvy young Filipinos are constantly bombarded with information from diverse sources, making their
cognitive development all the more visual. To tap the vast potential of learners to become the shapers of the
countrys future, DepEd integrated four 21st century skills in the reformed curriculum, namely:

Information, Media, and Technology Skills

Learning and Innovation Skills

Effective Communication Skills

Life and Career Skills

These competencies, coupled with curriculum support system and core values, are designed to holistically
prepare the learners become effective in helping address the needs of the nation, by pursuing either higher
education, employment, entrepreneurship, or middle-level skills development.
We are trying to develop learners become a whole person. Tinuturuan kayo ng skills, language, tinuturuan din
kayo mag-isip at magtanong, mag-interpret ng datos na binibigay sa inyo, Briones reminded the summit
participants, many of which belong to the millennial generation.
Science and technology in the K to 12 curriculum is taught progressively:

Stimulating the curiosity and basic process skills of Kindergarten to Grade 3 pupils through exploration
of the natural and physical environment

Developing the essential skills of scientific inquiry in Grades 4 to 6 learners by establishing the
connection between life and science

Enhancing the scientific, technological, and environmental literacy of Grades 7 to 10 students by

addressing real-world problems and issues directly confronting learners

Instilling the importance of scientific research on global issues that impact the country in Grades 11 to
12 (Senior High School) students by allowing them to choose a track that suits their interest and to innovate
products that help address the needs of their community

Applied Science and Technology

As a way of promoting Science and Technology consciousness among the youth and encouraging them to
showcase their innovative skills, DepEd regularly conducts the National Science and Technology Fair (NSTF) at
school, division, and regional levels.
Activities include Pinoy Robot Games, an annual robotics competition that promotes technology in learning
and real-life settings; Innovation Expo, a crowdsourcing event that promote innovation among learners and
industry partners; NSTF Educators Academy, an opportunity for learning and development through shoptalk
on creativity and research education; and Research Competition on the fields of life and physical science.
Nurturing Innovators in the EGG
Joining the Departments objective of bringing quality education for all, Microsoft recently launched EGG, a
mobile classroom equipped with Wi-Fi, LED display laptops and tablets for learners, learning materials with K
to 12 pre-populated content, locally cached knowledge internet sites. Because of the EGGs connection to the
internet via TV White Space, connectivity for learners in far-flung areas is still possible.
Since the EGG is a self-sustaining learning facility, it can generate its own power through the solar panels on its
roof and collect rainwater to be filtered as potable water. It is typhoon- and saltwater-resistant, allowing
adaptive reuse from classroom to storm shelter.
Capacitating Teachers
Currently, 722,889 teachers are educating, nurturing, and developing 25.4 million learners in the country.
Through continuous trainings, teachers are enabled to develop and enhance capacities that will help them
guide a generation of innovators. They are provided with a concrete understanding of basic knowledge of the
new curriculum, learning standards and competencies, and assessments and teaching plans. These educators
are also provided with opportunities to acquire and demonstrate the cognitive and affective competencies
they need in the effective implementation of the curriculum.
Aside from equipping teachers with capabilities to effectively deliver the curriculum and their role as
facilitators of learning, they are also encouraged to advance their skills in; empathic listening; giving and
receiving feedback; learning outcome-based coaching; and facilitation and questioning.
Shared Responsibility
According to Briones, enabling all Filipino learners to keep up with the rapidly changing world is a duty shared
by the Department with the government, family, society, private partners, media, and non-government

CONTACT INFORMATION
DepEd Complex, Meralco Ave.,
Pasig City, Metro Manila
(02) 636 1663 | 633 1942
(+63) 919 456 0027
action@deped.gov.ph

stakeholders. She
further called for the
participation of every
Filipino in navigating
this very exciting world
of knowledge.

Voucher program ensures better student access to Senior

High School Briones

dream for the Filipino

youth, the Education

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chief thoughtfully said,

September 17, 2016

sana dadating ang

PASIG CITY, September 17, 2016 It is unfair to tag the Departments

budget as private school-friendly when P400 billion of the proposed
P546 billion budget next year is for the delivery of basic education
through our public schools, Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary
Leonor Magtolis Briones maintained.

When asked about her

Amid recent criticisms that the higher budget for Senior High School
(SHS) Voucher Program for private schools compared to the voucher
allotment for non-DepEd public schools favors school owners, Briones
promptly pointed out, You must remember that this program was
designed to give students and their families options in deciding the SHS
that is most relevant to their needs and career goals. With 4,486 private
schools offering SHS, compared to 220 non-DepEd public schools, it is not
surprising that there are more enrollees in private schools, thus needing
higher budget for the voucher program.
DepEd is allocating P24 billion in 2017 to the SHS Voucher Program in
private schools. The proposed allocation is twice the current budget and
will cover an estimated 1.4 million student grantees who will enroll in
Grades 11 and 12 in private schools next year. On the other hand, nonDepEd public schools offering SHS will receive P1.3 billion to cover
138,462 grantees who will enroll in state and local universities and
colleges.
The SHS Voucher Program is a financial aid for Grade 10 completers who
wish to continue their Grades 11 and 12 education in private schools,
public universities, colleges and technical vocational institutions offering
SHS. Under the program, enrollment in a private school becomes a viable
option as students receive a subsidy to offset school fees charged by
these schools.
The 31-percent increase in its proposed budget next year is in recognition
of the needs and expectations that the Department has to meet and
deliver. The SHS voucher program is one of the venues by which the
DepEd collaborates with the private sector in the effective and inclusive
delivery of education.

Ang aking ambisyon,

panahon na makaproduce tayo ng isang
siyentipiko na gaya ni
Stephen Hawking, sana
maka-produce tayo ng
Nobel awardee. . . Sana.
. . sana.

END

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