CRITICAL ANALYSIS ON K TO 12

Introduction
Education equips an individual with the necessary knowledge and skills he/she needs to become a functional
member of a society. According to the World Bank, education can also be one of the strongest instruments for reducing
poverty, thereupon improving the well-being of the people. However, to establish and maintain a high-quality education
system, proper investments must be made.
In the Philippine context, education remains a top priority. Despite the various development plans and
projects formulated by the government and different sectors, the quality of Philippine education still leaves much room for
improvement. As part of the efforts of the present administration to respond to the perceived needs of the education sector,
the Department of Education (DepEd) had pushed for the implementation of the Enhanced K to 12 Basic Education
Program.

Summary
The K to 12 Program covers Kindergarten and 12 years of basic education (six years of primary
education, four years of Junior High School, and two 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.
This educational system for basic and secondary education is widely adopted around the world. The objective
of the program is to be able to produce more productive and responsible citizens equipped with the essential competencies
and skills for both life-long learning and employment. From among various proposals and studies conducted to come up
with an enhanced model that is suitable to the Philippine context, DepEd proposed the K-6-4-2 model or the K to 12
model.
This model involves kindergarten, six years of elementary education, four years of junior high school
(Grades 7-10), and two years of senior high school (Grades 11-12). The two years of senior high school intend to provide
time for students to consolidate acquired academic skills and competencies. The curriculum will allow specializations in
science and technology, music and arts, agriculture and fisheries, sports, business and entrepreneurship. The change is twofold. It will give focus not only to the curriculum enhancement but also to the transition management as well. The intention
of K to 12 is not merely to add two years of schooling but more importantly, to enhance the basic education curriculum.
The Salient Features are: strengthening early childhood education, making the curriculum relevant to
learners, ensuring integrated and seamless learning, building proficiency through language, gearing up for the future,
nurturing the holistically developed Filipino.

Analysis
The central feature of the K to 12 Program is the upgrading of the basic education curriculum to ensure that
learners acquire the relevant knowledge and skills they will need to become productive members of society With the
participation of the Commission on Higher Education and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, the
program has the capability of offering professionally designed classes and apprenticeships in sports, the arts, middle-level
skills, entrepreneurship, and applied math and sciences.
Whereas the old system overemphasized the value of a college degree before employment, the new program is
designed to equip every learner who graduates after senior high school (Grade 12) with the opportunity for improved
employment and entrepreneurship while ensuring that the high-school graduate has the necessary competencies to pursue a
college degree either immediately or at some later stage. With an upgraded and better-equipped pool of human resource,
industries will be able to find better and more qualified matches in their labor requirements.

For graduates proceeding to tertiary education, the K to 12 Program puts them at par with their international
counterparts and makes them more competitive in colleges and universities both here and abroad.
Higher education institutions will gain the flexibility to offer more enriched and specialized courses in every degree
program since a number of its general education courses would have already been completed in high school. This greatly
advances the graduates chances of landing 21st-century careers and acquiring self-employment skill sets.

The basic education system of the Philippines faces two major problems: (1) high dropout rates in primary
and secondary schools, and (2) lack of mastery of specific skills and content as reflected in poor performance in standard
tests for both Grade IV and Grade VIII (2nd year high school) students. Unfortunately, the proposed K+12 curriculum does
not directly address these problems. Both dropout rate and poor performance in standard exams indicate failure in the early
years of education. That these problems are caused by a congested 10-year curriculum is not strongly supported by
currently available data. The international standard tests take into account both years of education and basic skills. The
standard tests ensure that students from all the participating countries had the same number of years of schooling.
The proposed K plus 12 curriculum has various components. It is useful to look at each component in
deciding whether it helps address the pressing problems Philippine basic education presently faces:
(1) Kindergarten: This addresses the problems. Early childhood learning when done properly does provide a head start
for elementary schools. Kindergarten prepares the child emotionally, physically and mentally for grade school.
(2) No formal subject of science in K to Grade II: This is a waste of a great opportunity. Science education in early
childhood is cheap. It does not require elaborate laboratories or equipment. Young children, in addition, are naturally
inquisitive and the years of kinder to grade II are excellent for introduction of basic scientific curiosity and methods. Only
having science as a formal subject can ensure that science will indeed be covered.
(3) Use of mother tongue as medium of instruction: This is very expensive. It requires competent teachers who can
teach math and science using the mother tongue. There is no objection that the mother tongue must be taught as a subject
in elementary schools since this allows a smoother transition from home to school. The question of what medium should
be used in instruction is separate. One medium of instruction can unite the nation. English is the best option since course
materials especially from the internet are usually in English. In this respect, Singapore is a good example to follow.
(4) Spiral curriculum: This type of teaching is highly applicable to elementary schools where both science and math are
still treated as general approaches. In high school, both math and science diverge into separate disciplines. A spiral
curriculum in high school will require teachers with knowledge in all these areas at a sufficient level. These required
teachers are not going to be available in numbers so this program will be poorly implemented. A layered curriculum, on
the other hand, is easier to implement - biology is taught in one year, chemistry in the next, physics is usually the last. In
this manner, a high school can operate with a chemistry teacher, a physics teacher and a biology teacher, and each one
need not be a master of all three disciplines.
(5) Discovery-based learning: This type of learning requires longer hours and fails without sufficient guidance. The ideal
is a mix between traditional and inquiry based methods. This is usually achieved in the sciences by having separate lecture
and laboratory components. Guidance is provided during lectures and students work on their own or as a group in the
laboratory.
(6) Last but not the least (in fact, this point is crucial), the proposed K plus 12 curriculum also involves short school
hours: This seems to be an attempt to enable multiple shifts in the schools. This goes against decongesting the curriculum.
It likewise does not make it worthwhile for school children especially those who have to travel far to attend school. This
also opens opportunities for child labor as well as greater environmental (outside of school) influences on children
education. Elementary schools in the US are full day so that students do have time to cover the material and, at the same
time, it allows parents to work and be more productive. A full day in school means less television, less video games, less
time on the streets, and less other activities that do not contribute to a sound education of the young. A significant fraction
of public schools in the Philippines currently do not have a principal or a head teacher. This clearly needs to be addressed
first before any reform in curriculum is initiated. Otherwise, a new curriculum has no hope of being implemented
successfully.Instead of trying to attack the problem at the end of high school, efforts must be focused on the early years of
education. This is where the dropout rate begins to escalate and these are the years where students are failing to learn as

diagnosed by the standard test scores. Resources are very much needed in the first ten years of education and kindergarten
and DepEd can do a better job on these years if DepEd does not have to worry about the added senior years in high school.
The government should allow its citizens to work out on their own a solution for the desired two years that aim to prepare
students either for college or the workforce.

Conclusion
Critics presented valid concerns regarding the K to 12 programs. The government must therefore continue to
address such concerns to further develop the model. Though the program is ready to take off this year, continuous
monitoring, evaluation, and program enhancement must be ensured. And foremost, it must be made clear that a longer
education cycle alone could be useless without corresponding improvements in other aspects of the education system.
Proper training of teachers, additional classrooms and textbooks, better facilities such as libraries and computer rooms
must therefore be deemed as urgent as the implementation of this program.
As in any worthwhile investment, returns are reaped only after enough time and effort.The K to 12 Program
is just the beginning of what we hope to be the answer to the Philippines comeback to the global stage, and a sustained
path toward progress and development for its people. If we want to see our country back on the right track, we must dare
take that first bold step today.

Prepared by: Donna Jane Q. Plana

MAED

CRITICAL ANALYSIS ON K TO 12

Introduction
Education equips an individual with the necessary knowledge and skills he/she needs to become a functional
member of a society. According to the World Bank, education can also be one of the strongest instruments for reducing
poverty, thereupon improving the well-being of the people. However, to establish and maintain a high-quality education
system, proper investments must be made.
In the Philippine context, education remains a top priority. Despite the various development plans and
projects formulated by the government and different sectors, the quality of Philippine education still leaves much room for
improvement. As part of the efforts of the present administration to respond to the perceived needs of the education sector,
the Department of Education (DepEd) had pushed for the implementation of the Enhanced K to 12 Basic Education
Program.

Summary
The K to 12 Program covers Kindergarten and 12 years of basic education (six years of primary
education, four years of Junior High School, and two 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.
This educational system for basic and secondary education is widely adopted around the world. The objective
of the program is to be able to produce more productive and responsible citizens equipped with the essential competencies
and skills for both life-long learning and employment. From among various proposals and studies conducted to come up
with an enhanced model that is suitable to the Philippine context, DepEd proposed the K-6-4-2 model or the K to 12
model.
This model involves kindergarten, six years of elementary education, four years of junior high school
(Grades 7-10), and two years of senior high school (Grades 11-12). The two years of senior high school intend to provide
time for students to consolidate acquired academic skills and competencies. The curriculum will allow specializations in
science and technology, music and arts, agriculture and fisheries, sports, business and entrepreneurship. The change is twofold. It will give focus not only to the curriculum enhancement but also to the transition management as well. The intention
of K to 12 is not merely to add two years of schooling but more importantly, to enhance the basic education curriculum.
The Salient Features are: strengthening early childhood education, making the curriculum relevant to
learners, ensuring integrated and seamless learning, building proficiency through language, gearing up for the future,
nurturing the holistically developed Filipino.

Analysis
The central feature of the K to 12 Program is the upgrading of the basic education curriculum to ensure that
learners acquire the relevant knowledge and skills they will need to become productive members of society With the
participation of the Commission on Higher Education and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, the
program has the capability of offering professionally designed classes and apprenticeships in sports, the arts, middle-level
skills, entrepreneurship, and applied math and sciences.

Whereas the old system overemphasized the value of a college degree before employment, the new program is
designed to equip every learner who graduates after senior high school (Grade 12) with the opportunity for improved
employment and entrepreneurship while ensuring that the high-school graduate has the necessary competencies to pursue a
college degree either immediately or at some later stage. With an upgraded and better-equipped pool of human resource,
industries will be able to find better and more qualified matches in their labor requirements.
For graduates proceeding to tertiary education, the K to 12 Program puts them at par with their international
counterparts and makes them more competitive in colleges and universities both here and abroad.
Higher education institutions will gain the flexibility to offer more enriched and specialized courses in every degree
program since a number of its general education courses would have already been completed in high school. This greatly
advances the graduates chances of landing 21st-century careers and acquiring self-employment skill sets.

The basic education system of the Philippines faces two major problems: (1) high dropout rates in primary
and secondary schools, and (2) lack of mastery of specific skills and content as reflected in poor performance in standard
tests for both Grade IV and Grade VIII (2nd year high school) students. Unfortunately, the proposed K+12 curriculum does
not directly address these problems. Both dropout rate and poor performance in standard exams indicate failure in the early
years of education. That these problems are caused by a congested 10-year curriculum is not strongly supported by
currently available data. The international standard tests take into account both years of education and basic skills. The
standard tests ensure that students from all the participating countries had the same number of years of schooling.
The proposed K plus 12 curriculum has various components. It is useful to look at each component in
deciding whether it helps address the pressing problems Philippine basic education presently faces:
(1) Kindergarten: This addresses the problems. Early childhood learning when done properly does provide a head start
for elementary schools. Kindergarten prepares the child emotionally, physically and mentally for grade school.
(2) No formal subject of science in K to Grade II: This is a waste of a great opportunity. Science education in early
childhood is cheap. It does not require elaborate laboratories or equipment. Young children, in addition, are naturally
inquisitive and the years of kinder to grade II are excellent for introduction of basic scientific curiosity and methods. Only
having science as a formal subject can ensure that science will indeed be covered.
(3) Use of mother tongue as medium of instruction: This is very expensive. It requires competent teachers who can
teach math and science using the mother tongue. There is no objection that the mother tongue must be taught as a subject
in elementary schools since this allows a smoother transition from home to school. The question of what medium should
be used in instruction is separate. One medium of instruction can unite the nation. English is the best option since course
materials especially from the internet are usually in English. In this respect, Singapore is a good example to follow.
(4) Spiral curriculum: This type of teaching is highly applicable to elementary schools where both science and math are
still treated as general approaches. In high school, both math and science diverge into separate disciplines. A spiral
curriculum in high school will require teachers with knowledge in all these areas at a sufficient level. These required
teachers are not going to be available in numbers so this program will be poorly implemented. A layered curriculum, on
the other hand, is easier to implement - biology is taught in one year, chemistry in the next, physics is usually the last. In
this manner, a high school can operate with a chemistry teacher, a physics teacher and a biology teacher, and each one
need not be a master of all three disciplines.
(5) Discovery-based learning: This type of learning requires longer hours and fails without sufficient guidance. The ideal
is a mix between traditional and inquiry based methods. This is usually achieved in the sciences by having separate lecture
and laboratory components. Guidance is provided during lectures and students work on their own or as a group in the
laboratory.

(6) Last but not the least (in fact, this point is crucial), the proposed K plus 12 curriculum also involves short school
hours: This seems to be an attempt to enable multiple shifts in the schools. This goes against decongesting the curriculum.
It likewise does not make it worthwhile for school children especially those who have to travel far to attend school. This
also opens opportunities for child labor as well as greater environmental (outside of school) influences on children
education. Elementary schools in the US are full day so that students do have time to cover the material and, at the same
time, it allows parents to work and be more productive. A full day in school means less television, less video games, less
time on the streets, and less other activities that do not contribute to a sound education of the young. A significant fraction
of public schools in the Philippines currently do not have a principal or a head teacher. This clearly needs to be addressed
first before any reform in curriculum is initiated. Otherwise, a new curriculum has no hope of being implemented
successfully.Instead of trying to attack the problem at the end of high school, efforts must be focused on the early years of
education. This is where the dropout rate begins to escalate and these are the years where students are failing to learn as
diagnosed by the standard test scores. Resources are very much needed in the first ten years of education and kindergarten
and DepEd can do a better job on these years if DepEd does not have to worry about the added senior years in high school.
The government should allow its citizens to work out on their own a solution for the desired two years that aim to prepare
students either for college or the workforce.

Conclusion
Critics presented valid concerns regarding the K to 12 programs. The government must therefore continue to
address such concerns to further develop the model. Though the program is ready to take off this year, continuous
monitoring, evaluation, and program enhancement must be ensured. And foremost, it must be made clear that a longer
education cycle alone could be useless without corresponding improvements in other aspects of the education system.
Proper training of teachers, additional classrooms and textbooks, better facilities such as libraries and computer rooms
must therefore be deemed as urgent as the implementation of this program.
As in any worthwhile investment, returns are reaped only after enough time and effort.The K to 12 Program
is just the beginning of what we hope to be the answer to the Philippines comeback to the global stage, and a sustained
path toward progress and development for its people. If we want to see our country back on the right track, we must dare
take that first bold step today.

Prepared by: Charmaine B. Britaa

MAED

How Did You Score?

Your results indicate a high score on emotional intelligence.
What Does Your Score Mean?
People who score high on emotional intelligence tend to be skilled at interpreting, understanding, and acting upon
emotions. They are adept at dealing with social or emotional conflicts, expressing their feelings, and dealing with
emotional situations.
It's important to remember that no matter how good your score is, there is always room to improve your emotional
intelligence. Consider areas where you are not as strong and think of ways that you can learn and grow. Take stock of
your strong points and find ways to continue to develop and apply these skills.

SCHOOL
ADMINISTRATION
and

SUPERVISION
Presented to: Dr. Sisno

Presented by: Charmaine b. britaa

maed

SCHOOL
ADMINISTRATION
and

SUPERVISION

Presented to: Dr. Sisno

Presented by: Donna Jane Q. Plana

MAED