Mary Rose Fernandez Shangrila Briones

INTRODUCTION We need to add two years to our basic education. Those who can afford pay up to fourteen years of schooling before university. Thus, their children are getting into the best universities and the best jobs after graduation. I want at least 12 years for our public school children to give them an even chance at succeeding. President Benigno S. Aquino III

In line with the agenda of the Aquino Administration of having quality education as a long term solution to poverty, the Department of Education is taking bold steps to enhance the basic education curriculum. Enhancing the quality of basic education in the Philippines is urgent and critical. Thus, we have to come up with a proposal to enhance our basic education program in a manner that is least disruptive to the current curriculum, most affordable to government and families, and aligned with international practice. The 1987 Philippine Constitution puts special premium on education and accords it with the highest budgetary priority. Article XIV, Section 1, in particular, explicitly provides: The State shall protect and promote the right of all citizens to quality education at all levels. Article XIV, Section 5.(5) clearly mandates the State to assign the highest budgetary priority for education. However, despite these constitutional guarantees, current performance indicators showed a dismal picture of the quality of education in the country. Participation rates have worsened, dropout rates remain high and the Philippines continues to perform poorly in both national and international assessment tests. Despite efforts by the government to make basic education accessible to all, lack of access to quality education remains a major policy concern. The Philippines, a signatory to the Millennium Declaration, has committed to achieve the goal of 100 percent net enrollment rate by 2015. However, there is a low probability that this target will be met given the current trend.

According to the Department of Education (DepEd), the congested curriculum is partly to blame for this bleak situation. The DepEd claimed that forcing in 10 years a curriculum that is learned by the rest of the world in 12 years has been quite a challenge for both Filipino teachers and students. The Philippines is now the only country in Asia that has a 10-year basic education cycle and one of the three remaining countries in the world, together with Djibouti and Angola of Africa that retains a 10-year pre-university education system. As a response to this issue, the DepEd is pushing for the passage of a law that will implement the so - called K t o 1 2 program, which will institutionalize pre-school and add two more years of high school in the countrys basic education cycle. However, in light of the tight fiscal situation and the mounting demands coming from all other sectors, the increasing cost of living and the additional burden that this measure will entail particularly for households, it is important to determine whether K to 12 is a viable and critical program that needs to be pursued. The K+12 Basic Education Program seeks to provide for a quality 12-year basic education that each Filipino is entitled to. The program K+12 means Kindergarten and the 12

years of elementary and secondary education. After considering various proposals and studies, the model that is currently being proposed by Department of Education is the K-6-4-2 Model. This model involves Kindergarten, six years of elementary education, four years of junior high school (Grades 7 to 10) and two years of senior high school (Grades 11 to 12). In the K-6-4-2 Model, kindergarten and 12 years of quality basic education is a right of every Filipino, therefore they must be and will be provided by government and will be free. Those who go through the 12 years cycle will get an elementary diploma (6 years), a junior high school diploma (4 years), and a senior high school diploma (2 years). A full 12 years of basic education will eventually be required for entry into tertiary level education to those entering freshmen by SY 2018-2019 or seven years from now. The two years of senior high school intend to provide time for students to consolidate acquired academic skills and competencies relevant to the job market. It will be 2 years of indepth specialization for students depending on the occupation/career track they wish to pursue.

The curriculum will allow specializations in Science and Technology, Music and Arts, Agriculture and Fisheries, Sports, Business and Entrepreneurship.

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND As early as 1925, studies have observed the inadequacy of the basic education curriculum. As one of the most well studied reforms, recommendations of either adding or restoring 7th grade or adding an extra year to basic education have been put forward. The first assessment was conducted through a survey authorized by the Philippine legislature in 1925. The legislature created the Board of Educational Survey headed by Paul Monroe, and later, this board appointed an Educational Survey Commission who was also headed by Paul Monroe. This commission visited different schools in the Philippines. The commission observed different activities conducted in schools around the Philippines and concluded that secondary education did not prepare for life and recommended training in agriculture, commerce, and industry. Other studies made were the following: a) Prosser Survey (1930): Recommended to improve phases of vocational education such as 7th grade shopwork, provincial schools, practical arts training in the regular high schools, home economics, placement work, gardening, and agricultural education. b) UNESCO Mission Survey (1949): Recommended the restoration of Grade 7. c) Education Act of 1953: Under Section 3, mandates that [t]he primary course shall be composed of four grades (Grades I to IV) and the intermediate course of three grades (Grade V to VII). d) Swanson Survey (1960): Recommended the restoration of Grade 7.
5

e) Presidential Commission to Survey Philippine Education (PCSPE) (1970): High priority be given to the implementation of an 11-year program; Recommended program consists of 6 years of compulsory elementary education and 5 years of secondary education. f) Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM) Report (1991): If one year is to be added in the education program, it recommends one of two alternatives: Seven years of elementary education or Five years of secondary education. g) Presidential Commission on Educational Reforms (2000): Reform proposals include the establishment of a one-year pre-baccalaureate system that would also bring the Philippines at par with other countries. h) Presidential Task Force on Education (2008): In discussions on a 12-year pre-university program, it is important to specify the content of the 11th and 12th years and benchmark these with programs abroad.

ISSUES POWER OF THE STATE TO REGULATE ALL SCHOOLS Article II Section 12 of 1987 Constitution. The State recognizes the sanctity of family life and shall protect and strengthen the family as a basic autonomous social institution. It shall equally protect the life of the mother and the life of the unborn from conception. The natural and primary right and duty of parents in rearing of the youth for civic efficiency and the development of moral character shall receive the support of the government. The above provision expressly states that rearing of the youth for civic efficiency and development of moral character is a duty of both parents and government. The government should share in the inherent right and duty of parents in the training of their children to be good, useful, and worthy citizens by giving them support to prepare their children for future positions of responsibility and leadership. The case of Department of Education vs San Diego explained why the government needs to implement laws for us to have quality education. It states that: We cannot have a society of square pegs in round holes, of dentists who should never have left the farm and engineers who should have studied banking and teachers who could be better as merchants. It is time indeed that the State took decisive steps to regulate and enrich our
7

system of education by directing the student to the course for which he is best suited as determined by initial tests and evaluations. Otherwise, we may be "swamped with mediocrity," in the words of Justice Holmes, not because we are lacking in intelligence but because we are a nation of misfits. While the natural and primary responsibility for educating the child rests in the family, the State also has distinct interest in this matter since proper education-humanistic, vocational, moral, religious, civic - is necessary for the well-being. It is therefore the duty of the state to see that these obligations are fulfilled by parents through such means as compulsory education laws and to supply the essential educational facilities which private initiative is unable to furnish. There is no contention on the right of the state to monitor the children's education. In the case of Pierce v. Society of Sisters (268 U.S. 510, 534), it states that: No question is raised concerning the power of the state reasonably to regulate all schools, to inspect, supervise and examine them, their teachers and pupils; to require that all children of proper age attend some school, that teachers shall be of good moral character and patriotic disposition, that certain studies plainly essential to good citizenship must be taught, and that nothing be taught which is manifestly inimical to the public welfare.

The DepEd explained that the public perception that high school is inferior compared to college is exactly what K - 12 wants to change. The education sector would work with the business sector in developing the curriculum of senior high school so that the skills that students learn are exactly what the labor market needs. Industry hiring practices must be changed to take into account the enhanced skills and competencies of the K - 12 graduates. The DepEd consultations with the business sector showed that firms are generally supportive of K - 12.

RIGHT OF ALL CITIZENS TO QUALITY EDUCATION

Article XIV, Section 1 of 1987 Constitution. The State shall protect and promote the right of all citizens to quality education at all levels and shall take appropriate steps to make such education accessible to all. There is hardly anyone who will disagree with the proposition that every man has a right to education. It is a constitutional right. This is not embodied in the 1935 Constitution while provisions on the subject in the 1973 Constitution were merely in the nature of social services which the State was supposed to provide. The right is now made explicit or categorical. Note that the right guaranteed is not just the right to education but the right to quality education at all levels elementary, high school, and collegiate, both public and private as well as the right to have access to it. The duty of the State to protect and promote equal opportunity to quality education is a constitutional mandate. The state must take steps to make quality education at all levels

generally accessible or available to all on the basis of capacity by every appropriate means and in particular, by the establishment and maintenance of free education at least up to high school level. As far as may be possible, it should provide to those capable of it, the opportunity to pursue higher studies so that they may play a more active role in social life and especially in the economic and political spheres. The elitist character of quality education in the country has been the object of massive criticism. Even quality education outside of the few elitist schools is accessible only to those with financial means. It is the duty of the State to create conditions which are necessary to realize the right of all citizens particularly the poor to equal opportunity to quality and affordable education at all levels, whether public or private. It should not allow the quality of education to suffer in favor of quantitative expansion. Spending for education supports economic growth over the long term and also helps break the vicious cycle of poverty from one generation to the next. The Constitution recognizes that the quality of education maybe deficient in some cases as a result of poor school facilities and services. Many schools are saddled with crowded classrooms, lack of textbooks, incompetent teachers, unavailability of teaching materials,
9

obsolete teaching methods, substandard libraries, laboratories, equipment, and other facilities, dilapidated school buildings, irrelevant curricula, and others. These problems, for so many years, have been the formidable and unresolved challenged to national development. The State is duty bound to adopt measures to address these problems. Adequate financing of education is the lifeline of quality education. COMPLETE, ADEQUATE AND INTEGRATED SYSTEM OF EDUCATION TO BE ESTABLISHED, MAINTAINED, AND SUPPORTED Article XIV, Section 2 (1) of the 1987 Constitution states that: Establish, maintain, and support a complete, adequate, and integrated system of education relevant to the needs of the people and society. In line with this, Batas Pambansa Bilang 232 was enacted. This is an act providing for the establishment and maintenance of an integrated system of education. Portion of the act is as follow: It is the policy of the State to establish and maintains a complete, adequate and integrated system of education relevant to the goals of national development. Toward this end, the government shall ensure, within the context of a free and democratic system, maximum contribution of the educational system to the attainment of the following national developmental goals: 1. To achieve and maintain an accelerating rate of economic development and social progress; 2. To ensure the maximum participation of all the people in the attainment and enjoyment of the benefits of such growth; and 3. To achieve and strengthen national unity and consciousness and preserve, develop and promote desirable cultural, moral and spiritual values in a changing world. The State shall promote the right of every individual to relevant quality education, regardless of sex, age, creed, socio-economic status, physical and mental conditions, racial or ethnic origin, political or other affiliation. The State shall therefore promote and

10

maintain equality of access to education as well as the enjoyment of the benefits of education by all its citizens. The state shall promote the right of the nation's cultural communities in the exercise of their right to develop themselves within the context of their cultures, customs, traditions, interest and belief, and recognizes education as an instrument for their maximum participation in national development and in ensuring their involvement in achieving national unity. A bill is now in Congress which will repeal BP 232. House Bill 4219 seeks to provide 12-year basic education program that each Filipino is entitled to. House Bill 4219 entitled An Act Enhancing the Curriculum and increasing the number of years for Basic Education, Appropriating Funds therefore, and for other Purposes. This act shall be known as the Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2011. Portion of the bill is as follow: SECTION 2. Declaration of Principles and Policies. The State shall establish, maintain, and support a complete, adequate, and integrated system of education relevant to the needs of the people and society. The State shall give priority to education, science and technology, arts, culture, and sports to foster patriotism and nationalism, accelerate social progress, and promote total human liberation and development. The State recognizes the complementary roles of public and private institutions in the educational system. Likewise it is hereby declared the policy of the State that every graduate of basic education shall be empowered individual who has learned, through a program that is rooted on sound educational principles and geared towards excellence, the foundations for learning throughout life, the competence to engage in work and be productive, the ability to coexist in fruitful harmony with local and global communities, the capability to engage in autonomous critical thinking, and the capacity to transform others and ones self. Towards this end, the State shall create a functional basic education system that will generate responsible and productive citizens equipped with the essential competencies and skills for both life-long learning and employment, In order to achieve this, the State shall:

11

a) give every student an opportunity to receive quality education based on an enhanced and relevant curriculum that is intentionally recognized and comparable; and b) change public perception that secondary education is just a preparation for college; rather, it should allow one to take advantage of opportunities for gainful career or employment and/or self-employment in a rapidly changing and increasing globalized environment SECTION 3. Definition. Basic education is the education intended to meet basic learning needs which lays the foundation on which subsequent learning can be based. It encompasses kindergarten, elementary and secondary education as well as alternative learning systems for outof-school youth and adult learners and includes education for those with special needs. SECTION 4. Enhanced Basic Education. Basic education shall include kindergarten and twelve years elementary and secondary education. Kindergarten education shall be understood in this act to mean one year of preschool education for children five years old and above as a prerequisite for Grade 1. Elementary education shall refer to the first stage of free and compulsory, formal education primarily concerned with providing basic education. Elementary education can likewise be attained through alternative learning system. Secondary education shall refer to the stage of free formal education following the elementary level concerned primarily with continuing basic education. Secondary can education likewise be attained through alternative learning system. The Department of Education shall formulate the curriculum and determine the actual number of years for the elementary and secondary education programs. SECTION 5. Coordination with various government offices and consultation with all stakeholders. Immediately upon effectivity of this act, the department of Education shall coordinate with the following government offices to design the enhanced basic education curriculum and details of its implementation. 1. Commission on Higher Education (CHED)
12

2. Technical Education and Skills Development authority (TESDA) 3. Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) 4. Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) 5. Department of Science and Technology (DOST) 6. National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) The Department of Education shall also consult with all stakeholders including, but not limited to , private and public schools associations, teachers organizations and ParentsTeachers Associations and Chambers of Commerce in the formulation and implementation of the enhanced basic education curriculum. SECTION 6. Implementing Rules and Regulations. To carry out the purposes of this Act, the department of Education, in coordination with Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and Technical Education and Skills Development authority (TESDA), shall issue rules and regulations that may be necessary and consistent with the declared principles and policies of the State as described under Section 2 of this Act. SECTION 7. Appropriations. The amount necessary to carry out the implementation of this Act shall be charged to the appropriations for the Department of Education under the current General Appropriations Act. Thereafter, such amounts as may be necessary for its continued implementation shall be included in the annual General Appropriations Act. Article XIV, Section 2 (2) of the Constitution states that: Establish and maintain a system of free public education in the elementary and high school levels. Without limiting the natural rights of parents to rear their children, elementary education is compulsory for all children of school age. The Constitution makes it obligatory for the government to establish and maintain a system of public education in the elementary and high school levels. Republic Act No. 9155 otherwise known as Governance Basic education Act of 2001 Is an act instituting a framework of governance for basic education, establishing authority and accountability, renaming the department of education, culture and sports as the department of education, and for other purposes. The policy of the State to protect and promote the right of all
13

citizens to quality basic education and to make such education accessible to all by providing all Filipino children a free and compulsory education in the elementary level and free education in the high school level. Such education shall also include alternative learning systems for out-ofschool youth and adult learners. It shall be the goal of basic education to provide them with the skills, knowledge and values they need to become caring, self-reliant, productive and patriotic citizens. The school shall be the heart of the formal education system. It is where children learn. Schools shall have a single aim of providing the best possible basic education for all learners. Governance of basic education shall begin at the national level it is at the regions, divisions, schools and learning centers herein referred to as the field offices - where the policy and principle for the governance of basic education shall be translated into programs, projects and services developed, adapted and offered to fit local needs. The State shall encourage local initiatives for improving the quality of basic education. The State shall ensure that the values, needs and aspirations of a school community are reflected in the program of education for the children, out-of-school youth and adult learners. Schools and learning centers shall be empowered to make decisions on what is best for the learners they serve. Republic Act No. 6655 otherwise known as "Free Public Secondary Education Act of 1988 is an act establishing and providing for a free public secondary education and for other purposes. The system of free public secondary education as provided in this Act shall commence in School Year 1988-1989, and that the students enrolled in secondary course offerings in national and general comprehensive high schools, state colleges and universities, specialized schools, trade, technical, vocational, fishery and agricultural schools and in schools which may be established by law, shall be free from payment of tuition and other school fees, except fees related to membership in the school community such as identification cards, student organizations and publication which may be collected: Provided, That nothing in this Act shall cause or authorize the reduction or removal of any benefit which the national or local

14

government may have granted to the students, teachers and other school personnel of these public high schools prior to the enactment of this Act. RIGHT OF THE STATE ONLY SECONDARY OR SUPPLEMENTARY The State has the right to a sufficiently educated citizenry but has no right to interfere in what strictly belongs to the family. It has, however, the right and the duty to compel parents to fulfill their duty in educating their children. It is valid only when the parents themselves fail in their duty. Education is a long process and it begins at home. By the natural law, parents have the duty to educate their children, for this belongs to primary end of marriage. But one cannot have a duty without the right to fulfill that duty and that will be found on Article II Section 12 of the constitution. Primary responsibility for educating the child rests in the family. It cannot be interpreted to mean that the State can interfere with education of children in which it will result to unreasonable interference with the liberty of parents to direct the upbringing and education of children under their control. The child is not a mere creation of the State. The proposal to make kindergarten mandatory and institutionalize it as part of the basic education cycle is not as contentious as the additional two years in high school as there is a universal acceptance of the importance of pre-school in improving the quality and efficiency of education. The K-12 program will increased the school leaving age to 18 years old which is advantageous as senior high school graduates are no longer minors and therefore could be lawfully employed, legally able to start their own business and enter into contracts. But it would be particularly unfavorable to the poor who, in general, want to finish high school in the shortest time possible so that they can help their families right away. Adding two more years of senior high school would further delay their entry into the labor market and result in foregone earnings from work. In addition to that, increasing the school leaving age would not also be an outright advantage even if students graduate at 18 because businesses still prefer college graduates over fresh graduates from high school.
15

APPROPRIATION FOR THE K-12 PROGRAM According to the DepEd, an estimated PhP150 billion will be needed to procure all resources and close the gaps in basic education. This amount would cover the building of 152,569 new classrooms, hiring of 103,599 more teachers, procurement of 95.6 million more books and 13.2 million seats (DepEd Briefer, 2010). In a document entitled Financial Forecast for the K+12 Model provided by the DepEds Office of Administration and Finance, the preliminary estimated capital cost of the additional two years (senior high) in public schools is PhP43.7 billion, while recurring costs are estimated at PhP17.2 billion.7 Capital costs include the provision of classrooms, chairs, textbooks, and water and sanitation facilities. Recurring costs are for the employment of teachers, for textbooks, and maintenance and other operating expenses (MOOE). For the mandatory kindergarten, the DepEd will have to spend PhP27.1 billion, from SY 2011 to 2015.The DepEd clarified that this costing is still preliminary and that a financial study is currently underway to determine the final costs and sources of financing for the program. On the funding constraint and shortage of inputs. Critics pointed out those educational outcomes are largely dependent on resources made available to support teaching and learning. While DepEd received the biggest slice of the national budget in 2011 (12.6%) and that it significantly increased both in nominal terms and as percentage of gross domestic product (2.7%) compared to previous years, the amount allocated is still well below international standards .The UNESCO prescribes the spending of at least 6 percent of GDP for education while according to the World Bank, the average share of education in the national budget in developing countries is 20 percent. Appropriation for the K-12 program is heavily blockaded because of the Automatic Appropriations which drains the countrys budget for debt servicing compromising the delivery of basic services such as health and education. Automatic Appropriations was embodied in Section 31 of Presidential Decree No. 1177 REVISING THE BUDGET PROCESS IN ORDER TO INSTITUTIONALIZE THE BUDGETARY INNOVATIONS OF THE NEW
16

SOCIETY otherwise known as the Budget reform decree of 1977 issued during the martial law which provides for automatic appropriation for public debt service. The provision states that: Automatic Appropriations. All expenditures for (a) personnel retirement premiums, government service insurance, and other similar fixed expenditures, (b) principal and interest on public debt, (c) national government guarantees of obligations which are drawn upon, are automatically appropriated: provided, that no obligations shall be incurred or payments made from funds thus automatically appropriated except as issued in the form of regular budgetary allotments. This automatic appropriation for debt services has a long standing defect in the governments budget policy; the indiscriminate payment of all public debts including indefensible loans and regardless of the grave diversion of finances from basic services. It does not affirms and asserts the obligation of the State under Article II Section 9 of the 1987 Constitution to promote a just [social order]through policies that provide adequate social services. This paves the way of irrational and inhumane budgetary process. People have no control of the hundreds of billions of pesos annually paid for debt servicing. The excesses of past administrators-including the Marcos dictatorship and more recently the Arroyo regime holds the country hostage and legitimate loans will be Trojan horse for onerous and fraudulent debts. Badly needed social services cannot be prioritized in the budget. Since 1986, cumulative debt servicing has eaten up a third annual national government budget. Meanwhile, the countrys public schools, universities and colleges perennially suffer from decrepit facilities, lack ten of thousands of teachers and classrooms, and are short of millions of desks and textbooks. Government hospitals are being closed, public health services are a pittance, and vital medicines and treatments, especially for the poor, have become inaccessible. The need to repeal the law on automatic appropriation for debt servicing has become more urgent as the public debt has become an albatross for the nation. This is bloated by revenue losses from reckless trade liberalization and overly generous fiscal incentives for foreign investors, by guaranteeing private profits through government assuming contingent liabilities,
17

and by the perpetual free-fall of the peso. Outstanding public debt was 41 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) in 1996, soared to around 80% in 2002 and has remained in crisis proportion since then. The governments increasing dependence on borrowing means that the debt service burden is getting heavier and heavier. The increasing share of debt servicing in the national budget has exacerbated the governments worsening neglect of social services since 1997. In the 1.3 trillion 2010 budget, 276 billion or 21 percent was allotted for interest payment. This is on top of the automatic appropriation for principal payment worth 405 billion. Contrast this to the 78 billion paid out in 1997, a jump from 17 percent to 21 percent. On the other hand, education, health and social welfare budgets that were already grossly insufficient 13 years ago have drastically shrunk in real, if not absolute, terms. Their combined share in total expenditures fell from 23 percent in 1997 to just around 17 percent in 2010.The 2010 national budgets debt service allocation of P 276 billion is four percent greater than the combined budgets for education, health and social welfare at P231 billion. This is in contrast to Article XIV Section 5 (5) of the Constitution: The State shall assign the highest budgetary priority to education and ensure that teaching will attract and retain its rightful share of the best available talents through adequate remuneration and other means of job satisfaction and fulfillment. The uncritical servicing of these debt obligations has not only undermined the public social services which the majority poor Filipino peasants, fisher folk, workers, and urban poor depend on. It has entailed higher taxes than would otherwise be necessary. The automatic appropriation for debt service at the expense of basic services is unjust. It preempts the peoples prerogative by giving absolute and unquestioned priority to debt servicing and placing so much of the national budget outside normal budget processes. It has caused economic policy to systematically favor narrow private creditor and corporate interests over the needs of the people. It even encourages gross fiscal irresponsibility by making loans depend less on their merits than on the capacity of the government to squeeze the people for repayment funds.

18

ADDITIONAL EXPENSES TO BE INCURRED BY PARENTS One of the top reasons for dropping out of school is the high cost of education. The 2009 Family Income and Expenditure Survey (FIES) revealed that education is not a priority among poor households as bulk of their spending goes to food (60%). During the said year, only 1.2 percent of the family budget is spent for education. Article XIV, Section 2 (2) of the Constitution states that: Establish and maintain a system of free public education in the elementary and high school levels. The above provision does not contemplate automatic granting of free education. It will be implemented only after the national budget shall have shifted highest priority to education, as stated in Article XIV Section 5 (5) of the Constitution, and the finances of the government permit it. The provision of free high school education is more an expression of an objective or priority rather than an immediate mandate .It stresses the duty of the government to provide such free education at the earliest possible time, not at earliest convenience. The system of free public high school education is provided in Republic Act No. 6655 otherwise known as "Free Public Secondary Education Act of 1988, in which starting June, 1988 for graduates of public schools. School organization fees, publications, textbooks, workbooks and other instructional materials, identification cards, uniforms, and contributions to the Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Junior Red Cross, and Anti- TB fund campaign are not covered by the program. Although K to 12 will be provided free by the government in public schools where most of the poor enroll in, Article 70 of the Family Code states that the spouses are jointly responsible for the support of the family. Support, according to Article 194 of the Family Code, is

everything that is indispensable for sustenance, dwelling, clothing and medical attendance, education and transportation, in keeping with the financial capacity of the family. The education of the person entitled to be supported referred to in the preceding paragraph shall include his schooling or training for some profession, trade or vocation, even beyond the age of majority. Transportation shall include expenses going to and from school, or to and from the place of work. This means that burden will be for the parents even though children are entering public
19

school. Parents will still have out-of-pocket expenses to cover their schoolchildrens food, transportation and allowance. Adding two more years of high school would therefore entail additional burden on the households and this could inadvertently increase dropouts and worsen completion rates.

20

LEGISLATIVE PROPOSALS Two Senate bills, which seek the lengthening of the basic education cycle, are currently filed in the 15th Congress. Senate Bill No. (SBN) 2713, filed by Sen. Ralph Recto, prescribes a 13-year basic education program. However, his proposal is for the addition of two years of kindergarten starting 2012 and the addition of Grade 7 in elementary in 2015. The explanatory note of SBN 2713 states that dropouts are more prevalent in Grades 1 to 3 and that many of those entering public school for the first time are not ready for formal schooling. Hence, rather than prolonging high school as what the DepEd wants, the proposed additional years are centered on pre-school to ensure that students are better prepared to begin their formal education. If passed into law, this measure will repeal the pertinent provisions of Batas Pambansa 232, which fixes basic education in the country to 11 years at the most. The bill also prescribes the mother tongue as the primary medium of instruction from the kindergarten level to Grade 3 following findings from international and local researches that learners acquire reading skills more easily when taught in their first language. The bill further proposes that the initial funding for kindergarten be charged against the savings from the current appropriations of the DepEd and proceeds from the value-added tax (VAT) collections amounting to PhP40 billion every year for three years. Subsequent funding for continued implementation will be included in the General Appropriations Act (GAA). Funding for Grade 7 when due for implementation will also be charged to the proceeds from the VAT and included in the GAA. SBN 775 filed by Sen. Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada is a package of reforms aimed to improve access to and the quality of education. It also includes extending the number of years for basic education to 12 years. It does not specifically provide where the two years will be added but gives the DepEd the authority to assign the additional two years to the elementary and high school levels. The bill also provides for a compulsory year of pre-school education. Other reform areas tackled are the usage of mother tongue for the medium of instruction, an in-school feeding program, revision of the curriculum, teacher training and independent diagnostic testing. The bill proposes an initial funding of PhP19 billion to be allocated for implementation while subsequent funding is to be included in the GAA. The Senate has also recently come up with Committee Report No. 24, taking into consideration House Bill No. (HBN) 3826 by Rep. Salvador Escudero III, et al. and SBN 2700
21

by Senator Recto, which called for the institutionalization of kindergarten into the basic education system. As of writing, the said measure is pending on Second Reading under the period of interpellation per the sponsorship of Senator Edgardo Angara who chairs the Committee on Education, Arts and Culture. The proposed measure will complement the Early Years Act also sponsored by Senator Angara, which was passed by the Senate on Third Reading on May 30, 2011.13 In the House of Representatives, HBNs 4199 and 4219 by Rep. Escudero III, et al. and Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr., et al. respectively acknowledge that the congested curriculum is partly to blame for the poor quality of education. The bills cite the unpreparedness of high school graduates for college or for the labor force and thus prescribe 1 year of kindergarten and 12 years of basic education. Both measures also authorize the DepEd to formulate the curriculum and determine the actual number of years for elementary and secondary education programs. Similarly, HBN 2182 by Rep. Eulogio Magsaysay acknowledges that the Philippines basic education cycle is one of the shortest in Asia and proposes for it to be increased to 12 years to be at par with global norms. Funding as proposed by all three House bills will come from the annual GAA. House Bill 1008 by Rep. Teodoro Casino and Rep. Neri Javier Colmenares seeks to repeal the Automatic Appropriations Act which drains the countrys budget for debt servicing compromising the delivery of basic services such as health and education. This is to remedies long standing defect in the governments budget policy.

22

CONCLUSION Inarguably, the system of basic education in the country is in dire need of resuscitation. The main question though is whether increasing the number of years of schooling as proposed by the K to 12 program could lead to improvements in quality or just exacerbate the present situation. The proposal to make kindergarten mandatory and institutionalize it as part of the basic education cycle is not as contentious as the additional two years in high school as there is a universal acceptance of the importance of pre-school in improving the quality and efficiency of education. Various studies have indicated that quality Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) is associated with better cognitive and social skills development. Students who have undergone ECCD tend to stay in school longer and learn more. In fact, informal pre-school programs that operate with inadequate resources and facilities, and are saddled with unfavorable class sizes still manage to produce positive results in students (EFA GMR, 2005). A formal and institutionalized pre-school program with trained preschool teachers is thus expected to produce more gains. In contrast, researches have mixed findings on lengthening the basic education cycle. Critics have raised a real and valid concern that adding two more years of senior high would not only strain the governments resources but also contribute additional burden to households. With the increasing cost of living, and the budget, particularly of the poor, already stretched to the limit, K to 12 is a rather ambitious and expensive program, especially when it does not guarantee favorable results. On the other hand, there is also merit in the argument that the current curriculum needs decongesting and that the country needs to catch up with the rest of the world in terms of the length of basic education cycle. Nearly all countries have complied with the 12-year global standard and the Philippines is one of the last holdouts. If less-developed and poorer countries can commit to providing a longer basic education cycle, why cant the Philippines? What is clear is that lengthening the basic education cycle alone could be useless on its own without corresponding improvements on other educational inputs. According to the 2005 EFA GMR, aside from the presence of ECCD programs, enabling inputs are critical determinants of quality. Teachers who are considered to be the most important enabling inputs need to have better pre-service and regular in-service teacher trainings. This can also mean increasing the
23

qualifications for teachers and instituting a merit-based system along with increasing salaries to attract the best and the brightest. Likewise, other inputs like classrooms, textbooks, libraries and other school infrastructure need to be sufficiently provided. A better system of testing that focuses on skills and competencies to properly gauge outcomes is also essential. Ultimately, the governments ability to secure resources to implement the K to 12 program and at the same time address the unresolved shortages in educational inputs will determine the countrys quality of education in the future. As wisely stated in the Philippine EFA plan, Good education is expensive but lack of education costs many times more.

24

REFERENCES 1987 Constitution of The Republic Of The Philippines. Civil Code of the Philippines Action for Economic Reforms and E-NET. (2008). Preliminary Notes on FLEMMS 2008. http://enetphil.org/main/images/stories/ research_materials/Flemms_Notes_2008.pd f.

Years for Basic Education, Appropriating Funds Therefor, and for other Purposes. Senate Bill No. 2713. 15th Congress. (n.d.). Senate of the Philippines.

An Act Mandating Attainment of Globally Competitive Education Outcomes, Adopting an Omnibus Education Reform Program, Identifying for that Purpose the Strategic Components of Such Program, Appropriating Fund Therefor and

An Act Enhancing the Curriculum and Increasing the Number of Years for Basic Education, Appropriating Funds Therefor, and for other Purposes. House Bill No. 4199. 15th Congress. (n.d.) House of Representatives.

for other Purposes. Senate Bill No. 775. 15th Congress. (n.d.). Senate of the Philippines.

An Act Prescribing a Twelve (12) Year Basic Education Curriculum for all Public and Private School Children

An Act Enhancing the Curriculum and Increasing the Number of Years for Basic Education, Appropriating Funds Therefor, and for other Purposes. House Bill No. 4219. 15th Congress. (n.d.). House of Representatives.

Nation-wide, Providing Guidelines and Mechanism for its Implementation, Appropriating Funds Therefor and for other Purposes. House Bill No. 2182. 15th Congress. (n.d.). House of Representatives.

An Act Enhancing the Curriculum and Increasing the Number of

Education Policy and Data Center and United Nations Educational,Scientific and
25

Cultural Organization. (2009). Estimating the Costs of Achieving Education for All in lowincome countries.Background paper prepared for the Education for All Global Monitoring Report 2010: Reaching the Marginalized.

Article.aspx?articleId=616556&publication SubCategoryId=442

______. (2011, January 06). Mini Critique: General Education. The Philippine Star. http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx? articleId=645668&publicationSubCategoryI

House of Representatives. (1991) Congressional Commission on Philippine Education Report.

d=42

______. (2010, December 02). Mini Critique: K+12 and COCOPE .The

Cruz, I. (2010, December 9). Mini Critique: Afterthoughts after forums. The Philippine Star. http://www.philstar.com/ Article.aspx?articleId=637511&publication SubCategoryId=442

Philippine Star. http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx? articleId=635318&publicationSubCategoryI d=442

______. (2010, November 25). Mini Critique: K+12 and HEIS. The Philippine

______. (2010, November 18). Mini Critique: Better or more? The Philippine Star. http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx? articleId=631151&publicationSubCategoryI d=42

Star. http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx? articleId=633259&publicationSubCategoryI d=442

______. (2010, October 28). Mini Critique: K+12 for the poor. The Philippine Star.

______. (2010, September 30). Mini Critique: Changing the curriculum. The Philippine Star. http://www.philstar.com/

http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx? articleId=624807&publicationSubCategoryI d=442

26

______. (2010, September 23). Mini Critique: Subracting two years. The Philippine Star. http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx? articleId=614393&publicationSubCategoryI d=442 ______. (2010, September 16). Mini Critique: The best of times. The Philippine Star. http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx? articleId=612391&publicationSubCategoryI d=442

Article.aspx?articleId=643747&publication SubCategoryId=442 ______. (2010, October 21). Mini Critique: What is the K+12 plan? The Philippine Star. http://www.philstar.com/ Article.aspx?articleId=622815&publication SubCategoryId=442

______. (2010, September 23). Mini Critique: Subtracting two years. The Philippine Star.

______. (2010, October 7). Mini Critique: The enhanced curriculum. The Philippine Star. http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx? articleId=618534&publicationSubCategoryI d=442

http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx? articleId=614393&publicationSubCategoryI d=442 Department of Education. (2010, November 2). Salient Points onthe Enhanced K+12 Basic Education Program.

______. (2010, October 14). Mini Critique: The K+12 debate. The Philippine Star. http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx? articleId=620727&publicationSubCategoryI d=442

_________________. (2010, October 5). Discussion Paper on the Enhanced K+12 Basic Education Program.

______. (2010, December 30). Mini Critique: Total educational reform. The Philippine Star. http://www.philstar.com/

27