Influence of K-12 on Education Term Paper

INTRODUCTION

Because of the Philippine education system continuous aims for higher education, the pronouncement of the K-12 program for more excellent undergraduates in the elementary and secondary level has been proposed. According to them, this is for the benefit of not only the Filipino youth but all the Filipinos in the Philippines. K12 educational systems are additional years to secondary level. This means that the present four years in high school will be called Junior High School and additional two years as senior High Schools.

The model, which is being proposed, is K-6-4-2 where K means Kindergarten (5 years old), 6 means six years in elementary (6 to 11 years old), 4 means four years in Junior High School (12 to 15 years old) and 2 means two years in Senior High School (16 to 17 years old). (DepEd. n.d) The K-12 model is an educational system for basic and secondary education patterned after the United States,Canada, and some parts of Australia. The current basic education system is also an archetype of American schooling but with a 10-year cycle.

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DepEd’s stands for the adaptation of the K-12 program is due to the low achievement scores and poor quality of basic education to the present school setup. 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 have the same plan in their educational institutions.

see more:disadvantages of k to 12

With this, the standards of these countries go a notch higher than what the country has, thus, creating an expansion in the global competency. (DepEd, 2010) “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.” (Aquino III, 2011)” It is said that the enhanced K12 program is the most drastic and controversial program of the Aquino administration. K-12 has been met with criticism from youth and student groups, teachers, parents and the academic community. The DepEd, for its part, appears determined to enact the program with its proposed budget catering mostly to preparing the grounds for its eventual implementation. Thus, This term paper will discuss the advantages and advantages of k+12 program for a more better understanding of the Filipinos.

BODY

“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”(Mandela,2010). This quote states that education develops our world to more powerful. This is one of a reason why others want the K+12 program on the Philippines. Some are not in favor of this because they say that it is not the longer education is the solution and it is the improving of quality of education. Some say that K+12 in the Philippines is not necessary while I as a student agree for this program. Since its implementation, which started with the Pre-School program just this school year 2011-2012, many still doubt its benefit for the Filipino youth and the Filipino people as a whole.

It is apparent that the Department of Education is not yet ready for the full implementation of the K-12 Program in the coming school year 2016-2017.An estimated P45 billion is needed to finance the additional Grade 11 of the students which includes the additional teachers, classrooms and textbooks.Many are suspicious of the value of the said program with all the inadequacies that surround its subsidy and many are not in favor of its implementation. So let us cite the advantages and disadvantages of the K-12 program or the additional 2 years to Basic Education.

ADVANTAGES

To Individuals and Families

1. Students will be able to get sufficient instructional time to do subject- related tasks which makes them more prepared and well- trained on that subject area. On the other hand, if we remain on the old system, Filipino students would continually get low achievement scores. For instance, international test results revealed that we often come at the tail end in the exams compared to other countries.
2. The graduates of this program will be more prepared to enter the labor force. As we all noticed, high school graduates of the current curriculum are not yet employable for the reason that they are not yet competent and well – equipped with the skills needed in the workplaces. In addition, most high school graduates are not yet reaching the legal age of 18. With the new curriculum, senior high school students can choose a field that they are good at and that they are interested in. As a result, they will be equipped with the skills needed for a specific job even without a college degree. At the age of 18, the age when they graduate from high school, they will be employable and competitive already. Thus, adding up to the nation’s manpower.
3. Graduates will be prepared for higher education. Due to an enhanced curriculum that will provide relevant content and attuned with the changing needs of the times, basic education will ensure sufficient mastery of core subjects to its graduates such that graduates may opt to pursue higher education if they choose to.
4. Graduates will be able to earn higher wages and/or better prepared to start their own business. There is a strong correlation between educational attainment and wage structure and studies specific to the Philippine setting show that an additional year of schooling increases earnings by 7.5%. This should also allow greater access to higher education for self-supporting students.
5. Filipino graduates will be automatically recognized as professionals abroad because we are following the international education standard as practiced by all nations. There will be no need to study again and spend more money in order to qualify to their standards. With this, Filipino professionals who aspire to work abroad will not find a hard time in getting jobs in line with their chosen field and will be able to help their families more in the Philippines as well as the country’s economy with their remittances, property buying, and creation of businesses. For the Society and Economy
6. The economy will experience accelerated growth in the long run. The objective of the K+12 programs is to improve quality of basic education. Several studies have shown that the improvements in the quality of education will increase GDP growth by as much as 2%. Studies in the UK, India and US show that additional years of schooling also have positive overall impact on society
7. The Philippine education system will be at par with international standards. K+12 will facilitate mutual recognition of Filipino graduates and professionals following the Washington Accord and the Bologna Accord. 8. A better educated society provides a sound foundation for long-term socioeconomic development. The Enhanced K+12 Basic Education system will contribute to the development of emotionally and intellectually mature individuals capable of pursuing productive employment or entrepreneurship or higher education disciplines. (Cruz,2010)

DISADVANTAGES

1. Parents have to shell out more money (for transportation and food) for education of their children
2. The government does not have the money to pay for two more years of free education, since it does not even have the money to fully support today’s ten years. DepEd must first solve the lack of classroom, furniture and equipment, qualified teachers, and error- free textbooks
3. Filipinos right now are accepted in prestigious graduate schools in the world, even with only ten years of basic education
4. As far as the curriculum is concerned, DepEd should fix the current subjects instead of adding new ones. The problem is the content, not the length, of basic education. As an editorial put it, we need to have better education, not more education
5. A high School diploma will not get anybody anywhere, because business firms will not hire fresh high school graduates
6. Every family dreams of having a child graduate from college
7. While students are stuck in Grade 11 and 12, colleges and universities will have no freshmen for two years. This will spell financial disaster for many private Higher Education Institutions (HEIs)
8. The drop-out rate will increase because of the two extra years. (Cruz, 2010)

The additional two years in basic education may not be the only solution to the quality of the educational system. Quality may also depend on the curriculum, the quality of educators and the facilities provided for by the school campuses. With the continuing increase in school tuition, the upgrade on quality education should have already been included. The additional two years will only be to the advantage of the schools and will only make education a more lucrative business. The question remains. Will the new system assure graduates of employment after graduation? If not, the DepEd should instead enhance what we already have and not add to the burden of education. (Malou, 2010) K-12 will give more job opportunities to high school graduates.

It will make more globally competitive Filipino students and it will maximize their time on choosing their career base on their ability. (Jennifer, 2011) It’s a given fact that the Aquino administration has good intentions in implementing this K-12 plan. But no matter how good these intentions are, there would still be parts of the society who would give them a hard time making this education amendment. Sadly, the Philippine education system is far behind other countries’. If this K-12 plan would push through, help the concerned parties have that optimism that this would bring our education system a few notches higher. Make everybody realize that yes, we do have quality education here and we are able to produce skillful, well-rounded, and competent young citizens.

CONCLUSION

With all the issues that the K-12 Program is facing, it is important that we Filipinos keep faith in our ability to find solutions despite various constraints. It is a timely move of our government to come up with such a reform. Filipinos are known to be competitive in the international community. While this may be true, our current education system hinders us in becoming more competitive among other countries. The K- 12 education plan offers a great solution to that problem. However, it is undeniable that there seems to be problems arising as we implement the program such as lack of government budget, classrooms and school supplies as well as the teachers.

But, if we focus on the long- term effect of K- 12, we can conclude that it is very beneficial to us Filipinos. It has the best intentions and that is for the enhancement of the youth, making them locally and globally competitive. Therefore, we must have the strong will in supporting K- 12 Educational Plan for the betterment of our education system and economy. Remember, if we want change in our society, we must start it with our education system. Parents must not think of the financial crisis it might bring their family but must focus on the positive outcome it would bring their children. There is no impossible when we Filipinos persevere. Setbacks cannot be avoided, but these are not insurmountable dilemmas that innovative Filipinos cannot overcome. If the students will give their all in their studies and competent teachers will equip them with the necessary instructions, then surely, the program will succeed together with realization of all its aims. Change is inevitable, and the change for the better must be accepted and be supported rather than opposed.