K-12:an Asset or a Drawback in Promoting Quality Education?
K-12: AN ASSET OR A DRAWBACK IN PROMOTING QUALITY EDUCATION?
Sol F. Constantino
(ED 213)Graduate School, Ateneo de Naga University
There are ample reasons behind the emergence of K+12 Basic Education Program. With our country’s current situation, consequently it became an issue. Similar to coin tossing, this argument has its heads and tails thus it earned different public reactions; an approval from those who viewed K+12 as the answer to the poor quality of basic education and stern rebukes from “folks whose pocketbooks would be adversely impacted by the proposed additional 2 years of basic education” (Cruz, 2010). Hence, If equated to analogy, the product of the old curriculum with a K-6-4 structure and the new curriculum having K-6-4-2 model can be compared to two newborn babies, a premature baby (half-baked graduates) whose needs must be addressed in order to survive and a normal one (the ideal graduate) . Futhermore, I consider the features of K+12 to be more an advantage in enhancing our quality of education but the conflict here is the preparedness of the crucial elements needed to be procured by DepEd as it turned out to be an untimely implementation. The cons reckoned many drawbacks of K+12 as they consider it an impediment and an additional burden especially to parents. The Philippine Star writer Isagani Cruz enumerated the downsides of K+12 in his column. He asserted that parents have to shell out more money (for transportation and food) for the education of their children as they find the additional two years heavy for their expense which will lead to a high dropout rate of the students if not addressed . I personally don’t concur to this point. Providing our children quality education is like farming, where one needs to perspire and endure working under the sun, plow the fields and take good care of everything in order to have a good harvest. Absolutely it is hard, but not impossible. Another reason cited is that the government does not
Sol F. Constantino
(ED 213)Graduate School, Ateneo de Naga University
There are ample reasons behind the emergence of K+12 Basic Education Program. With our country’s current situation, consequently it became an issue. Similar to coin tossing, this argument has its heads and tails thus it earned different public reactions; an approval from those who viewed K+12 as the answer to the poor quality of basic education and stern rebukes from “folks whose pocketbooks would be adversely impacted by the proposed additional 2 years of basic education” (Cruz, 2010). Hence, If equated to analogy, the product of the old curriculum with a K-6-4 structure and the new curriculum having K-6-4-2 model can be compared to two newborn babies, a premature baby (half-baked graduates) whose needs must be addressed in order to survive and a normal one (the ideal graduate) . Futhermore, I consider the features of K+12 to be more an advantage in enhancing our quality of education but the conflict here is the preparedness of the crucial elements needed to be procured by DepEd as it turned out to be an untimely implementation. The cons reckoned many drawbacks of K+12 as they consider it an impediment and an additional burden especially to parents. The Philippine Star writer Isagani Cruz enumerated the downsides of K+12 in his column. He asserted that parents have to shell out more money (for transportation and food) for the education of their children as they find the additional two years heavy for their expense which will lead to a high dropout rate of the students if not addressed . I personally don’t concur to this point. Providing our children quality education is like farming, where one needs to perspire and endure working under the sun, plow the fields and take good care of everything in order to have a good harvest. Absolutely it is hard, but not impossible. Another reason cited is that the government does not
References: Balangue, D. (2010, November). Is K+12 the answer? Inquirer Opinion/ Column. Retrieved from http://opinion.inquirer.net/inquireropinion/columns/view/20101126-305539/Is-K12-the-answer Cruz, I. (2010, October). Pros & Cons in the K+12 Basic Education Debate. The Philippine Star. Retrieved from http://mlephil.wordpress.com/2010/10/14/pros-cons-of-the-k12-debate/ Discussion paper on the enhanced K+12 basic education program. (2010, October 5). Retrieved from www.deped.gov.ph/cpanel/uploads/issuanceImg/K12new.pdf