PHILIPPINE K TO 12 EDUCATION OVERVIEW

The K to 12 Program covers Kindergarten and 12 years of Basic Education [Six (6) years of primary education, Four (4) years of Junior High School, and Two (2) years of Senior High School (SHS)] to provide sufficient time for mastery of concepts and skills, develop lifelong learners, and prepare graduates for tertiary education, middle-level skills development, employment, and entrepreneurship.

The K to 12 Basic Education Program is the flagship program of the Department of Education in its desire to offer a curriculum that is attuned to the 21st century. This is in pursuance of the reform thrusts of the Basic Education Sector Reform Agenda, a package of policy reforms that seek to systematically improve critical regulatory, institutional, structural, financial, cultural, physical, and informational conditions affecting basic education provision, access, and delivery on the ground. The Department seeks to create a basic education sector that is capable of attaining the country’s Education for All Objectives and the Millennium Development Goals by the year 2015. These policy reforms are expected to introduce critical changes necessary to further accelerate, broaden, deepen, and sustain the Department’s effort in improving the quality of basic education.

K to 12 Implementation is a response to trade liberalization, the growing global market, international agreements such as the Bologna and Washington Accords have kept countries focused on the comparability of educational degrees. Filipino graduates need to develop a competitive advantage over others in the ASEAN region and in the world. Unfortunately, the ten-year basic education system handicaps overseas Filipino professionals competing in the world market. The Bologna Process requires 12 years of education for university admission and practice of the profession in European countries. On account of the Bologna Accord, starting in 2010, undergraduate degrees in the Philippines are no longer recognized in most European countries. The Washington Accord prescribes a minimum of 12 years of basic education as an entry to the recognition of engineering professionals. Obviously, the short basic education cycle is a deterrent in pursuing recent initiatives like the APEC and ASEAN mutual recognition projects. APEC or Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation is an international forum of 21 member economies that acts collectively to advance their common interests. APEC is committed to a policy of reducing barriers to trade and of being a vehicle for promoting economic cooperation within the Asia- Pacific Region. (Source: SEAMEO INNOTECH Study)

THE PHILIPPINE K TO 12 EDUCATION STANDARDS

  • 1 Year Kindergarten
  • 6 Years Elementary
  • 4 Years of Junior High School
  • 2 Years of Senior High School

AGE REQUIREMENTS

  • AGE 05: Kindergarten
  • AGE 06: Grade 1
  • AGE 07: Grade 2
  • AGE 08: Grade 3
  • AGE 09: Grade 4
  • AGE 10: Grade 5
  • AGE 11: Grade 6
  • AGE 12: Grade 7 (First Year Junior High School)
  • AGE 13: Grade 8 (Second Year Junior High School)
  • AGE 14: Grade 9 (Third Year Junior High School)
  • AGE 15: Grade 10 (Fourth Year Junior High School)
  • AGE 16: Grade 11 (First Year SENIOR High School)
  • AGE 17: Grade 12 (Second Year SENIOR High School)

CURRICULUM

  • Department of Education Prescribed Curriculum

Outcome Goals of the K to 12 Basic Education Program

The K to 12 Basic Education Program seeks to realize the following:

  • Philippine education standards to be at par with international standards;
  • more emotionally mature graduates equipped with technical and/ or vocational skills who are better prepared for work, middle-level skills development and higher education;
  • significantly addressed shortages or gaps in educational inputs (teacher items, school head items, classrooms, instructional materials) addressed significantly;
  • broadened and strengthened stakeholders’ support in the improvement of basic education outcomes;
  • improved internal efficiency;
  • improved system of governance in the Department;
  • improved quality of teachers;

Outcome Goals of the K to 12 Basic Education Program

The K to 12 Basic Education Program seeks to realize the following:

  • Philippine education standards to be at par with international standards;
  • more emotionally mature graduates equipped with technical and/ or vocational skills who are better prepared for work, middle-level skills development and higher education;
  • significantly addressed shortages or gaps in educational inputs (teacher items, school head items, classrooms, instructional materials) addressed significantly;
  • broadened and strengthened stakeholders’ support in the improvement of basic education outcomes;
  • improved internal efficiency;
  • improved system of governance in the Department;
  • improved quality of teachers;

Process Goals of the K to 12 Basic Education Program

  • Decongest and reform the basic education curriculum in coordination with CHED, TESDA and other education stakeholders;
  • Develop culture-sensitive, culture-responsive and developmentally appropriate print/non-print online learning resources for K to 12;
  • Conduct in-service training for teachers relative to the implementation of the K to 12 curricula;
  • Focus on integrated instruction to equip learners with skills for future employment, critical and creative thinking, and life skills;
  • Universalize kindergarten by 2012;
  • Institutionalize school-based management for school empowerment;
  • Institute reform in assessment framework and practice for a learner-centered basic education;
  • Address basic input shortages in classrooms, teachers, textbooks;
  • Promote good education governance in the entire Department of Education;
  • Pursue legislation to institutionalize K to 12 Basic Education Program;
  • Formulate a transition management plan for the K to 12 implementations by including modeling per region per specialization;
  • Identify K to 12 model schools per region and per specialization tracks that will model senior high school by SY 2012-2013.

The K to 12 Program covers Kindergarten and 12 years of Basic Education [Six (6) years of primary education, Four (4) years of Junior High School, and Two (2) years of Senior High School (SHS)] to provide sufficient time for mastery of concepts and skills, develop lifelong learners, and prepare graduates for tertiary education, middle-level skills development, employment, and entrepreneurship.

The K to 12 Basic Education Program is the flagship program of the Department of Education in its desire to offer a curriculum that is attuned to the 21st century. This is in pursuance of the reform thrusts of the Basic Education Sector Reform Agenda, a package of policy reforms that seek to systematically improve critical regulatory, institutional, structural, financial, cultural, physical, and informational conditions affecting basic education provision, access, and delivery on the ground. The Department seeks to create a basic education sector that is capable of attaining the country’s Education for All Objectives and the Millennium Development Goals by the year 2015. These policy reforms are expected to introduce critical changes necessary to further accelerate, broaden, deepen, and sustain the Department’s effort in improving the quality of basic education.

K to 12 Implementation is a response to trade liberalization, the growing global market, international agreements such as the Bologna and Washington Accords have kept countries focused on the comparability of educational degrees. Filipino graduates need to develop a competitive advantage over others in the ASEAN region and in the world. Unfortunately, the ten-year basic education system handicaps overseas Filipino professionals competing in the world market. The Bologna Process requires 12 years of education for university admission and practice of the profession in European countries. On account of the Bologna Accord, starting in 2010, undergraduate degrees in the Philippines are no longer recognized in most European countries. The Washington Accord prescribes a minimum of 12 years of basic education as an entry to the recognition of engineering professionals. Obviously, the short basic education cycle is a deterrent in pursuing recent initiatives like the APEC and ASEAN mutual recognition projects. APEC or Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation is an international forum of 21 member economies that acts collectively to advance their common interests. APEC is committed to a policy of reducing barriers to trade and of being a vehicle for promoting economic cooperation within the Asia- Pacific Region. (Source: SEAMEO INNOTECH Study)

THE PHILIPPINE K TO 12 EDUCATION STANDARDS

  • 1 Year Kindergarten
  • 6 Years Elementary
  • 4 Years of Junior High School
  • 2 Years of Senior High School

AGE REQUIREMENTS

  • AGE 05: Kindergarten
  • AGE 06: Grade 1
  • AGE 07: Grade 2
  • AGE 08: Grade 3
  • AGE 09: Grade 4
  • AGE 10: Grade 5
  • AGE 11: Grade 6
  • AGE 12: Grade 7 (First Year Junior High School)
  • AGE 13: Grade 8 (Second Year Junior High School)
  • AGE 14: Grade 9 (Third Year Junior High School)
  • AGE 15: Grade 10 (Fourth Year Junior High School)
  • AGE 16: Grade 11 (First Year SENIOR High School)
  • AGE 17: Grade 12 (Second Year SENIOR High School)

CURRICULUM

  • Department of Education Prescribed Curriculum

Outcome Goals of the K to 12 Basic Education Program

The K to 12 Basic Education Program seeks to realize the following:

  • Philippine education standards to be at par with international standards;
  • more emotionally mature graduates equipped with technical and/ or vocational skills who are better prepared for work, middle-level skills development and higher education;
  • significantly addressed shortages or gaps in educational inputs (teacher items, school head items, classrooms, instructional materials) addressed significantly;
  • broadened and strengthened stakeholders’ support in the improvement of basic education outcomes;
  • improved internal efficiency;
  • improved system of governance in the Department;
  • improved quality of teachers;

Outcome Goals of the K to 12 Basic Education Program

The K to 12 Basic Education Program seeks to realize the following:

  • Philippine education standards to be at par with international standards;
  • more emotionally mature graduates equipped with technical and/ or vocational skills who are better prepared for work, middle-level skills development and higher education;
  • significantly addressed shortages or gaps in educational inputs (teacher items, school head items, classrooms, instructional materials) addressed significantly;
  • broadened and strengthened stakeholders’ support in the improvement of basic education outcomes;
  • improved internal efficiency;
  • improved system of governance in the Department;
  • improved quality of teachers;

Process Goals of the K to 12 Basic Education Program

  • Decongest and reform the basic education curriculum in coordination with CHED, TESDA and other education stakeholders;
  • Develop culture-sensitive, culture-responsive and developmentally appropriate print/non-print online learning resources for K to 12;
  • Conduct in-service training for teachers relative to the implementation of the K to 12 curricula;
  • Focus on integrated instruction to equip learners with skills for future employment, critical and creative thinking, and life skills;
  • Universalize kindergarten by 2012;
  • Institutionalize school-based management for school empowerment;
  • Institute reform in assessment framework and practice for a learner-centered basic education;
  • Address basic input shortages in classrooms, teachers, textbooks;
  • Promote good education governance in the entire Department of Education;
  • Pursue legislation to institutionalize K to 12 Basic Education Program;
  • Formulate a transition management plan for the K to 12 implementations by including modeling per region per specialization;
  • Identify K to 12 model schools per region and per specialization tracks that will model senior high school by SY 2012-2013.

ENDNOTES & REFERENCES:
• The K to 12 BASIC EDUCATION PROGRAM, Department of Education (DepEd), (as of March 12, 2012)
• SEAMEO INNOTECH Study
• Batomalaque, Antonio. Basic Science Development Program of the Philippines for International Cooperation. The University of San Carlos.; Marinas, Bella, and Ditapat, Maria. Philippines: Curriculum and Development. UNESCO International Bureau of Education
• International Engineering Alliance. The Washington Accord. http://www.washingtonaccord.org/Washington-Accord/FAQ.cfm (Accessed 11 September 2010)

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