Louis Renz G.

Espanol
TEACH3-EDGE

One current structure that affects the country at is the current transition into the K-12
program. This program is set-up to allow the incoming generation to have better specialized
skills before they enter their selected courses. Taking these gives them more opportunities to
pursue more advanced subjects in college and further deepen their learnings. In the last 3 years,
the government has made it mandatory for high schools to adopt the Strand methods of the K-
12 system. This paper talks to the change that this system has made and to reinforce the truth
that the system has been an utter failure so far.
Let us first define the K-12 system and the changes it has made in our country’s
educational system. K-12 is an educational system that as the name suggests, starts at the
Kinder level and ends on the 12th grade. More specifically, it uses a spiral method in teaching
in which students are made to learn adaptability to the topics in their different subjects. This
gives more of a collegiate feel. Nowhere is this more evident than in the Senior High portion
(Grade 11-12). Students are made to pick a strand, usually between: General Academics (GA);
Humanities (HUMS); Accountancy and Business Management (ABM); and Science,
Technology, Engineering and Math. These four strands serve as the pathways to the 4 different
types of courses students are usually picking between on the collegiate level. In its entirety, K-
12 is definitely more comprehensive and focused on preparing students for tertiary education
when compared to the previous more traditional system.
Now that we have defined what K-12 is, let us look at the effects that the system has
had on the community (Marikina High, Park 22). I was lucky enough to teach the older students
who would be entering Junior High in the next 2 years. I saw that while they were prepared,
they would tell me about problems their respective schools have been having with K-12. One
problem that they mentioned was that they didn’t have any of their own textbooks for school.
The Department of Education had not even been able to distribute any textbooks and the
students would rely on pictures or photocopies. While this is sustainable on the practical level,
it is not conducive to learning at all and makes it a hassle for students to study. Even worse,
some parents of the younger kids need to be the ones to get copies of the homework themselves.
This really affects the community since the kids with busy parents would have a much harder
time learning.
Let us discuss these problems in more technical terms this time. Using the Vulnerability
Context, K-12 has made it more resource-heavy for kids to go to school. One resource is time,
because kids would have to stay in school longer which would make it more difficult for the
poorer kids to finish school. This is compounded by the financial and other practical problems
that this lengthened period of schooling would create. Parents of poor families may choose to
not send their kids to school more since it would take much longer for them before they can
help with the finances. This can spiral out of control quickly because if more kids are
uneducated, the poverty rate may rise higher than in previous years. While this is a wild
conjecture, it is important to consider in the implementation of the system. This is another
problem that affects the Vulnerability Context of the community: gross negligence by the
government. It is one thing to change educational systems, but it is another to change one
horribly run system with another one. The previous system was full of problems: financially,
logistically. Teachers were always paid late, books never arrived, and classrooms are always
too small for the kids. Nothing has changed with any of these. In fact, the K-12 system has
exacerbated these problems because more levels means more teachers, more students, and more
resources that most public schools aren’t able to properly provide for the students.
Now, on to attempting to fix the problem. I believe that one of the things that needs to
be done is to push for a reassessment of the systems of the DepEd as well as the budget that
supports it. Education has always been an underserved sector in the Philippines. The
government needs to understand that if this cannot be remedied, it just shows a failure in
investing for the long-term future of the country. Realistically, this is nearly impossible because
of the politics that surround the budget. On a more local level, it is important for the different
LGU’s to band together to create their own solutions to the problems of the overall bureaucracy.
Funding small deliveries of resources such as books for classrooms and dedicated photocopiers
for schools will allow for a more efficient way for teachers to disseminate information to their
students. On the grassroots level, NGO’s should work with the LGU to discuss the most
important needs that the LGU is not in a position to provide that the NGO may. An example of
this would be Teach for the Philippines which allows teachers to reach out and help settle the
manpower problem in communities around the country.
On a lighter note, this is the type of NGO I would like to advocate for. Education and
teaching has always been a particular pet issue of mine as I’ve grown in the Ateneo. I believe
that equal opportunity starts in the classroom and with students and teachers. I know that I can
help because of my experiences as a Tunong Dunong teacher as all Ateneo High School
students are, as well as TEACH3 now. I love watching the kids learn even if in the moment, I
feel tired and frustrated. I just need that one kid to really want to learn and to really care about
learning.
All in all, the K-12 system has just been a sham and the people who work to make it
better are doing a thankless job. Although the rewards are long-term and I’m sure many experts
have said that it is all worth it, we need to see the dilemma it is causing with the people who
have to go through it. Hopefully, these issues can be addressed sooner if not later.