Name: Jenny Rose Sumagaysay Date of Submission: August 26,2013 Article Source: http://mlephil.wordpress.

com/2010/10/14/pros-cons-of-thek12-debate/ Reaction: Problems encountered in K to 12 (Article 1)

Everybody agrees that big reforms are necessary to reverse the decline of Philippine education. The Philippine educational system

pursues the achievement of excellent undergraduates in the elementary and secondary level. At present, the Department of Education

pronounces the addition of two more years in the basic education of students, which according to them will benefit not only the Filipino youth but all the Filipinos in the Philippines.

This

proposal

is

part

of

P-noy's

Educational

Reform

Program. The administration asserts that with the implementation of such program, the problem of unemployment in the country will be resolved. In as much as employment in the Philippines is concerned, the K12 education also responds to the fact that most countries in the world already With have this, the the same plan in of their these

educational

institutions.

standards

countries go a notch higher than what the country has, thus, creating an expansion in the global competency. What can be really said about this plan?

While the reaction of the public is divided, where some are in favor and some are not, here are several issues that I point out to the aggression of opposing groups especially the parents to this program. One of the main problems in the Philippines which the government needs to resolve is the lack of school and classrooms in the different parts of the country. It is

important that students stay in a place that is conducive for study while they are away from home. In addition, with teachers go abroad to of And teach, or do in another schools has job, that become there mold a is the already minds for a of the

shortage learners.

educators this

deficiency

problem

country in the past several years. Finally, there is a need for students to utilize the appropriate instructional materials and school equipment for them to learn and gain the necessary

knowledge in school. This lack of accessibility in books and other school supplies clearly manifest the scarcity in the

public schools in the country. There is nothing wrong in aiming the other fraction of a horizon, and that is what the government attempts to accomplish. It is in fact an indication that to aspire for something higher, one must carry out certain actions to achieve the goal. However, the administration also ought to realize and clearly understand what the educational system in the Philippines needs to develop

primarily. The mentioned issues above are only a few elements that entailed to be resolved. At some point, the Philippines cannot go ahead unless the concerns are faced and the

difficulties are completely solved. There are a lot to be done to improve the competency of the youth. The government does not need to gaze from afar.

Name: Jenny Rose Sumagaysay Date of Submission: August 26,2013 Article Source: http://philbasiceducation.blogspot.com/2012/06/problemwith-aquinos-k-to-12-program.html Reaction: Problems encountered in K to 12 (Article 2)

The short school cycle is blamed for the poor learning skills of students in the Philippines. Admittedly, it is a factor that affects the quality of schooling. But it is wrong to assert that it is the principal reason for the underperformance of schools and students. What about availability appropriate of learning resources, and adequate other teacher essential

preparation,

school

facilities

elements in raising the quality of education? In short, lengthening

the school cycle or decongesting the curriculum would be rendered meaningless if the school setting is still not conducive to learning. K-12 proponents argue that its the standard in most countries and that the Philippines need it catch up with its neighbors if it wants to be more competitive in the global market. Indeed, K-12 is already the global norm but it doesnt mean that the Philippines has to blindly copy the model. even In fact, the its premature of and mechanical in the

implementation

might

worsen

crisis

education

country. Based on the experience of developed nations, K-12 succeeded if its implemented under an efficient education system. Therefore, what the Philippines should prioritize is the building of modern

school facilities throughout the country. Address the basic problems of schools, plug the loopholes in the bureaucracy and then lets

consider the to adopt K-12. K-12 will certainly affect millions of innocent lives and whats at stake here should not be trivialized because it involves the future of an entire generation. But Aquino is ready to risk the future of the youth by agreeing to the launch of the ill-prepared K-12 program this school year. Why conduct an education experiment that may cause harm in the lives of millions? Why the rush? Whats so special with the year 2016? The great potential of education reforms must not be

torpedoed by the narrow objectives of electoral politics. Education is societys great equalizer but it remains a distant goal in the Philippines where more than half of students who entered Grade One are still unable to finish high school. The problem is not

only the short number of school years; the bigger problem is the high drop-out rate in all levels of schooling. The challenge then is to mainstream the out-of-school youth into the formal schooling system. But by adding two more years in the school cycle, K-12 will only succeed in producing more school drop-outs and a new underclass of school rejects. K-12 will finally institutionalize the reactionary

fantasy of preventing the rise of college educated proletariat. In other words, K-12 will worsen inequality in society. K-12 serves as a reminder that education must not be left in the hands of technocrats, bureaucrats, and policymakers who are often

divorced from the realities of everyday life. K-12 should lead to more public discussion and debate about the establishment of an education system that is truly responsive to the aspirations of the greatest number of Filipinos. Hopefully, it would inspire us to continue the struggle not just for meaningful education reforms but also for

political initiatives that would lead to the rise of political leaders and champions who understand the role of a nationalist, scientific, and mass-oriented type of education in improving the lives of

Filipinos.