PRACTICALITY OF K12

K12 program aims to enhance the academic achievement as well as competency of Filipino students
not only locally but also internationally. Our country’s goal is to improve and become competitive, certain
changes is inevitable. Our educational system is not an exception to such changes, in fact, according to
DepEd Discussion Paper dated Oct. 5, 2010 1, Philippines is the last Asian country who has the 10-year basic
education, after Angola and Djibouti already replaces their educational system. Hence, implementation of
12-year basic education is crucial, not just to keep up with the trends but for the modernization and
development of our country.

It is not practical to abolish K12 because:

1st point: As to employment.

Filipino parents, particularly those belong to lower and middle income families2, are struggling to pursue the
college education of their children, believing that college diploma is the only key for their children to land a
good job. But with K12 program, although there is additional 2 years in High School but technically it is
minus 2 years before employment. The students need not to wait 4 years after high school to be employed.

According to DepEd Order No. 21, s. 2019, K12 offers 3 tracks for Senior High School, these are Academic,
Technical-Vocational Livelihood, Sports, and Arts and Design, wherein:

Academic track includes three strands: Business, Accountancy, Management (BAM); Humanities,
Education, Social Sciences (HESS); and Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics (STEM).

TVL includes three strands: Information and Communications Technology (ICT), Agri-fishery Arts, Home
Economics, and Industrial Arts.

Sports includes: Physical Education, and Safety and First Aid.

Under Technical-Vocational Livelihood (TVL) – Grade 10 student can obtain Certificates of Competency
(COC) or a National Certificate Level I (NC I), while Grade 12 student after finishing a Technical-Vocational-
Livelihood track may obtain a National Certificate Level II (NC II), provided he/she passes the competency-
based assessment of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA). NC I and NC II
improves employability of graduates in fields like Agriculture, Electronics, and Trade.

Under Academic – after SHS, students may pursue higher education such as Accountancy, Engineering,
Education, Philosophy and other courses in colleges, it is a lot easier for them to deal college subjects
because they are equipped with knowledge and skills in the chosen field or course because SHS already
introduces and familiarizes them with that.

For example, in accountancy, SHS are being introduced with Fundamentals of Accounting, Business Math
and other.

Under Arts and Design - When it comes to visual arts, it is other than painting. There is printmaking,
architecture, interior designing, photography, and film production. You will be equipped with different media
arts skills like animation, web design, or interactive mobile applications. Grab on that mouse and learn how
to use computer-aided design software like the AutoCAD, Google Sketchup, Maya, Photoshop, 3ds MAX and
VRAY.

1
Discussion Paper on the Enhanced K+12 Basic Education Program (Deped Discussion Paper) Oct. 5, 2010
2
LIF – less than 7, 890 pesos, while MIF - between PHP 7,890 to PHP 15,780 per month (2012 Family Income and Expenditure
Survey (FIES), Philippine Statistics Authority)
Graduates of Arts and Design can either become song writer, script writer, cartoonist, and animator. They
can be employed in the fields of multimedia production, advertising, corporate communications, graphic
designing, filmmaking, photography, and desktop publishing.

Under Sports – after SHS, students may pursue Sports Science, or Physical Therapist, or they can work as
gym instructor or game officials.

K12 program also ensures that graduates are

equipped with Information, media and technology
skills, Learning and innovation skills, Effective
communication skills, and Life and career skills.
With this, it helps the students for their preparation
in pursuing higher education, entrepreneurship,
middle-level skill development, and it increases
their chances to be employed.

Hence, after graduating SHS, having the skills

needed for employment, gradutes can apply and be
hired for a job.

2018 Fresh Graduate Report, a survey conducted

by employment website Jobstreet, it shows that
24% companies are willing to welcome SHS, 35%
are not ready and 41% are undecided. Despite of
such, according to Education Undersecretary Jesus
Mateo, it is good enough percentage to take in K-
12 graduates in entry level positions doing
administrative and support work to technical, supervisory and managerial levels3, and considering that
Philippine education is in transition phase.

Study by Philippine Business for Education (PBED) said that the first batch of SHS graduates possess 93%
of the competencies suitable to the needs of the nation’s industries, such as critical thinking and problem-
solving skills.

In 2017 salary report from Jobstreet, it revealed that technology and computer related industries remains
a top job paying in the Philippines, which resulted to more job vacancies in the said field. This is in favour
of the SHS graduates particularly under the TVL track, since TVL offers Information and Communications
Technology (ICT), this ensures that TVL-ICT graduates will be employed with their suitable jobs.

K12 equipped the students with practical work experience and not only skills and knowledge. Hence, the
graduates will not worry that they will not be hired for having no experience. Under DepEd Order No. 30, s.
2017, Guidelines for Work Immersion, it requires work immersion for SHS before graduation, this serve as
their avenue to test themselves and to apply what they learned, they will also experience social interaction
in the work place. Under the said DO, students are required to have at least 80 hours of work immersion.

In addition, in the first batch of SHS graduates (2013-2015), 90% of them were able to get employment
while 10% decided to pursue college, this is based on the Tracer Study 4 conducted year 2017. This prove
that despite the hesitation of some employers, SHS graduates are able to be hired due to their skills,
knowledge and competency.

3
https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2018/04/23/1808498/survey-showing-24-firms-hiring-k-12-grads-
welcomed#lwjCsA4YDU0pfDme.99
4
According to DepEd Undersecretary Mateo. Tracer Study - survey (in written or oral form) of graduates from education institutions,
which takes place some time after graduation or the end of the training.
2nd point: As to budget.

To support the K12 program, the government prioritizes education with regard to budget, according to
Department of Budget and Management, DepEd received an increase in budget when the K12 program
commences, in 2015 budget of education is 367.1 Billion, while in 2016 435.9 Billion, in 2017 568.4 Billion,
in 2018 is 691.1 Billion (based on the respective GAA). In 2019 budget 531.57 Billion, though there is a
decreased budget, the DBM reiterated that education still the top priority and received the highest budget
allocation.

Since the beginning of K12, the DepEd has built 66,813 classrooms (2010-2013), there are 33,608
classrooms completed and undergoing construction in 2014. The DepEd even issued provisional permits to
2,847 private school for the establishment of additional schools or classroom for SHS in 2016.

Not only classrooms and schools are benefited for the increase of budget in education, it also caters the
students’ needs financially. Republic Act 10533, Rule VI, Sec. 21, it mandates that the expansion of
Government Assistance for Students and Teachers in Private Education Act, accorded in RA 8545. With this
the government gave assistance to qualified students based on the income background and financial needs
of students, and this is not exclusive to students in public schools it also includes students who completed
junior high school in private school, provided they are qualified.

The assistance is in the form of:

(a) A voucher system, where government issues a coupon directly to students to enable them to enroll in
eligible private educational institutions or non-DepEd public schools of their choice under a full or partial
tuition or schooling subsidy;

(b) Education Service Contracting (ESC), where the government enters into contracts with private
educational institutions or non-DepEd public schools to shoulder the tuition and other fees of high school
students who shall enroll in private high schools under this program;

(c) Management contracts, where government enters into contractual arrangements with private
educational institutions or non-DepEd public schools to manage the day-to-day operations of public schools
under agreed performance targets;

(d) Forms of assistance provided under Republic Act No. 8545; and

(e) Other forms of financial arrangements consistent with the principles of public-private partnership.

For Voucher System, can be availed

after completion of grade 10 and
aims to continue to SHS.
Need not to apply for voucher:

Category A: All Grade 10 completers in Public

Schools operated by DepEd

Category B: All Grade 10 completers in SUCs

and LUCs

Category C: All Grade 10 completers in

private schools who are ESC grantees

Voucher Applicants:

Category D: All Grade 10 completers in

private schools in SY 2018-2019 who are not
ESC grantees

Category E: Learners who passed the

Alternative Learning System (ALS) Accreditation and Equivalency (A&E) Test for Grade 10 by the start of the school year

Category F: Learners who passed the Philippine Educational Placement Test (PEPT) for Grade 11 by the start of the school year
For Education Service Contracting, it is available for elementary students who wishes to continue in
secondary level. According to DepEd Order No. 18, s. 2016, policies and guidelines on the implementation
of government assistance for ESC, provides that the amount of subsidy are as follows:

A) for students outside NCR,

a. subsidy for Grade 7 and Grade 8 in SY 2016-2017 shall be P8,500 per grantee for entire
school year, subject to adjustments approved by the State Assistance Council (SAC).
b. the amount of subsidy for Grades 9 – Php7,500 and Grade 10 – Php 6,500 per grantee.
B) While for students in NCR,
a. the amount of subsidy for Grade 7 and Grade 8 grantees shall be Php11,000 per grantee for
an entire school year, subject to adjustments approved by the SAC.
b. The amount of subsidy for Grade 9 and Grade 10 shall be Php10,000 per grantee.
i. The higher subsidy is in recognition of the fact that private school tuition and all other
fees are much higher in NCR than in the rest of the country.

However, if the total school fees (TSF) – tuition, other, and miscellaneous fees – charged by a school are
lower than the ESC (education service contracting) subsidy, the amount that shall be paid the school shall
not be more than the TSF it charges.

Conclusion:

The government or system may be lacking in implementing the K12 Program, however, it does not mean
that there’s a need to abolish the said program, considering that it is validly passed and let also consider
the potential of the law or the program that will help Filipino students.