DepEd: K+12 is pro-poor

The Department of Education has emphasized that the K+12 basic education program implementation is another pro-poor and poverty-combating initiative of President Benigno S. Aquino III's administration.

Guest during the weekly media forum "Kapihan iti Amianan," of Iluko Heritage Channel, DepEd School Division Superintendent Marino Baytec focused on DepEd's flagship program.

Baytec said that studies conducted by educators have shown that every additional year of schooling improves the income potential of a student as he starts to work. "The name of the game is global competitiveness," he added.

The DepEd official said that the K+12 program, which will be fully implemented this school year, highlights not only the additional years to basic education but also the design of the curriculum using mother tongue-based multi-lingual education for incoming Grade 1 to Grade 3 students.

The mentors have started last year using Iluko as the medium of instruction in teaching History, Science, and Math in Grade 1 to Grade 3 students, he noted.

He reiterated that no Grade 1 pupil shall be accepted this coming June 3 opening of classes without attending Kindergarten with the passage of the Universal Kindergarten Law or Republic Act No. 10157.

"There will be compulsory kindergarten, six years of elementary education, four years of junior high school, and two years of senior high school," Baytec explained even as he said that the DepEd needs more funds for the construction and repair of school facilities to address the yearly shortage of classrooms and backlog of repairs in public schools.

Even if the enhanced K+12 program continues to draw criticism from various sectors especially from parents, Baytec said that the additional years in basic education cannot be separated from the issue of poor quality of the education system.

"We are left behind because many countries are now adopting the 12-year basic education resulting in high performance by their students," he said. - PIA — ARA