CHED and K to 12

Fr. Joel Tabora, S.J., president of the Philippine Accrediting Association of Schools, Colleges and Universities (PAASCU) and of Ateneo de Davao University (ADDU), as well as a representative of the Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines (CEAP) and of the Coordinating Council for Private Educational Associations (COCOPEA), wrote a letter dated Sept. 3, 2012, to the Commission on Quality Assurance of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED).

In his letter, Tabora appealed to CHED to postpone the implementation of its Outcomes- and Typology-Based Quality Assurance (OTBQA) Program. (If you are wondering about all the acronyms, be aware that Filipino education officials love to talk in capital letters.) Tabora had many reservations about the OTBQA, not to mention the outcomes-based paradigm and the typology, but I do not agree completely with him on the points that he raised.

I agree with his main point, however, namely, that CHED should wait for the finalization of the K to 12 curriculum before instituting major changes in tertiary education.

Let me quote Tabora on the K to 12 reform being undertaken by the government, in conjunction with the business and private sectors. I should first say that Tabora is an advocate of K to 12 and has, in fact, contributed quite a bit to its conceptual framework.

Says Tabora:

“First, while the Aquino administration has already called for its implementation, K-12 still does not enjoy supportive legislation. This makes it extremely difficult for private HEIs to plan for the ramifications of this reform. For many private HEIs, at stake is not only adherence to quality standards, but the prospects of survival.

“Second, the prospect of no freshmen students in 2016 and 2017 is an administrative nightmare deeply affecting institutional finances and viability, as well as the careers of a significant number of tertiary-level teachers. 

“Third, the K-12 reform has ushered in many curricular changes affecting not only universal kindergarten, the old Grades 1-10, the new 11 and 12; it will also affect tertiary-level curricula.

“While the CHED has come out with College Readiness Standards, and while the proposals relative to Tertiary-Level General Education are now under consultation, the effect of K-12 on the tertiary-level programs will be both significant and destabilizing, as both the regulated and the regulators try to find their way through unchartered territory again.

“Clearly, K-12 shall thrust private HEIs into an unwanted transitional upheaval – which for some may mean significant loss of personnel in order to survive, or, if possible, transfer of personnel according to the demands of the K-12 roll out. How institutions will have to manage this, considering existing permanent appointments, is no small challenge. Private institutions have, nevertheless, for the good of our educational system, deliberately chosen to bite the bullet to accommodate this necessary reform, even though the actual consequences for many are uncertain.”

Both Tabora and I are members of CHED’s Technical Panel for General Education (TPGE), currently conducting public hearings around the country. We are fully aware of the problems facing Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) when they adapt a new General Education Curriculum (GEC). We are also aware that, unless CHED prepares its policies and standards early enough, there will be chaos and panic in 2018, when the first K to 12 graduates enter college.

Like Tabora, I feel that CHED should work quickly on the effects of K to 12 on higher education. Like Tabora, I also feel that such work will take all of the time and energy of CHED, as well as of HEIs. CHED need not rush quality assurance. Survival comes first, before quality. We need to have schools first, before we worry about whether they are any good. 2018 is just around the corner. (Just think, the “ber” months have come, sooner than anybody expected.)

Therefore, I fully support Tabora’s appeal, namely, as he puts it, “I am constrained to recommend that CHED en banc hold off the approval of this OTBQA Program at least until there is more tranquility in the K-12 field. My recommendation would be that, in lieu of this, CHED help the private HEIs in their transition to K-12.”

ASSUMPTION COLLEGE PLAY: Assumption College’s METTA will present “?????? ?: The Myth of Prometheus and Pandora” on September 7, 14, 19, 21, 28, and Oct. 5. The show begins at 7 p.m. The play features original music and poetry from the myths of Prometheus and Pandora. It stars Paolo O’Hara, Russell Legaspi, JV Katipunan, and the Theater Arts students of Assumption College. It was written by Pinky Valdes and Ana Valdes-Lim, with Valdes composing the music as well. Set design is by Bely Ygot.

The play is billed as “a drama-musical, an allegorical tale about a hero’s journey towards self-discovery and servant leadership. Prometheus discovers his calling to protect and champion humans. He answers his call to action, by giving humans the gift of fire, which enables them to cook, keep warm, create tools, weapons, and crafts for progress.” While set far away and long ago, the play is clearly meant to mirror today’s realities. Watch out for insights about gender bias, the nobility of being a teacher, and what it means to be a human being.