K-12 program gaining ground, says DepEd

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Education (DepEd) said yesterday that the K (Kindergarten) to 12 Basic Education Curriculum reform program continues to get wider public acceptance based on a recent Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey.

The poll conducted from Aug. 24 to 27 showed growing acceptability of the key features of the ambitious K to 12 program among the respondents, compared to survey results last March.

The SWS survey indicated that about 72 percent of Filipino adults or a net rating of +48, up from +35 last March, believe that the program will give students more sufficient knowledge and preparation for college and work compared to those who finished 10 years of basic education.

The percentage of Filipinos who believe that more students will be encouraged to finish the two years to be added to high school showed a 10-point increase, with 69 percent from 59 percent in March, with a net rating of +41.

The results also showed that 68 percent of Filipinos or a net rating of +39 believe that more students will finish senior high school even with the additional cost and number of years because K to 12 graduates will be better prepared for work, higher education, and business.

K to 12 prescribes an enhanced basic education program that covers one year of kindergarten, six years of elementary education, and six years of secondary education consisting of four years of junior high school and two years senior high school.

The survey likewise showed that 72 percent of respondents agree that DepEd will be able to improve the skills of teachers, while seven out of 10 say DepEd will be able to address classroom shortages.

Overall public satisfaction with DepEd increased by 12 points, while public awareness on Education Secretary Armin Luistro was at a record high of 90 percent.

The poll was conducted nationwide with 1,200 respondents representing all economic classes and a balance across genders, age groups in urban and rural areas.                     –