PB: Are schools ready for K to 12?

CEBU, Philippines - The Cebu Provincial Board urged the Department of Education to reassess the readiness of public schools for the K to 12 educational system.

“Despite the said program starting to go full swing, it is observed that there are only a limited number of public schools within Cebu that have the capacity to cater to more students due to additional two years in basic education,” read the approved resolution of PB member Miguel Magpale.

The board approved the resolution in a regular session on March 2.

The resolution said that for the country to provide quality education, as the goal of this new program, issues such the lack of infrastructures like classrooms and material support needed by schools should be addressed right away.

RA 10533 or the Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013 reforms the country’s educational system by providing only one year in the kindergarten level, six years in the elementary and six years in the secondary, which include four years of junior high school and two years of senior high school education.

The full effects of this new system are said to be felt in 2016, in which the projected problems are expected to surface.

Earlier, Senator Antonio Trillanes IV had pushed that this program be suspended until the current fundamental problems of the country's education system will be addressed.

He said the government itself is not prepared for the expected result of this program, like the high student to teacher ratio, retrenchment of about 85,000 college teachers and workers, among others.

“Hindi handa ang ating mga public schools dito sa K to 12 program. Ganoon din ang mga magulang, mabibigatan sa additional financial burden,” Trillanes said, as quoted in a report on GMA News Online.

Trillanes stated last July that he is against the implementation of the K to 12 program since he believes the government should address basic necessities in education like a lack of classrooms and textbooks first.

Meanwhile, the Coalition for K to 12 Suspension, which Trillanes supports, will file a motion before the Supreme Court on Thursday to suspend the program.

The Department of Education earlier stated the K to 12 program will help bring the country's education system on par with other countries. — (FREEMAN)