K to 12 in the Philippines Essay

The Department of Education’s mission speaks clearly of the provision of a quality basic education that should be accessible to all and one which shall lay the foundation of a lifelong learning and self-actualization needed for citizenship at the local, national and global milieu. This mission can only be realized if indeed our educational system meets the challenge of the new millennium. Currently, educators just realized that our educational system has not been updated as to meeting the global competitiveness. It must be an acceptable fact that we have produced graduates who lack the skills, who cannot be recognized globally, and who do not possess entrepreneurial skills or the basic knowledge for higher education. I personally believe that it is high time that we start changing the educational system of the Philippines through the implementation of the K to 12 Basic Education Program. As a secondary school teacher, I have witnessed personally how our young generation graduates without having themselves equipped totally the basic knowledge they must have developed in the previous curriculum implemented in the schools. According to a survey, it is only the Philippines which has not adopted the 12 years basic education program in the whole of the Asia. This is the very reason why even if we have intelligent and globally competitive graduates, these graduates cannot still be recognized as professionals abroad because they lack the number of years to complete the basic education. Its implementation is actually a bold and a great challenge to curriculum developers and implementers (teachers) in our country. There are several problems that we have to overcome. But with everyone looking at one vision, holding hand in hand towards its successful implementation, lifting up each of our spirits – then the K to 12 implementation will have a successful journey. TERESA E. INDAC MAED-CMUGS