DepEd introduces tool to track K to 12 grads

CEBU, Philippines — The Department of Education (DepEd)-7 has adopted a tool that would track the choices made by senior high pioneer graduates.

DepEd-7 Director Dr. Julieta Jeruta said the agency introduced this tracking tool to know what happened to the senior high school graduates after finishing the K to12 program.

Starting this June, program coordinators are working on a mechanism.

This tool is also being used to measure the efficiency of the K to12 Basic Education Program, wherein two year levels in high school was incorporated in the new schooling system called senior high (Grades 11 and 12).

"We (DepEd) don't claim immediate success (since the K to 12 Program was implemented) since it's our first batch and proofs should be gathered for a time," Jeruta told The FREEMAN.

Central Visayas accounts to more than 100,000 senior high graduates, both from the private and public schools.

Now, a tool is used to determine whether the student fared well in college, said Jeruta.

She added that it will also assess how long does job seekers are being hired or have they landed a job related to the tracks they studied to during senior high.

Jeruta explained that after students graduate, and now equipped with knowledge from the K to 12 learning program, they are expected to be job ready and have the ability to cope with the challenges of higher education.

She said students who are able to proceed to college are expected to easily pass entrance examinations of the college or university of their choice.

To those who will not proceed and will look for a job, the graduates are expected to present themselves to potential employers with readiness on the skills needed by the company or the industry.

"It's too early to say that they could readily land a job.  Suffice it to say that we are hoping that readiness is better shown in the interrelatedness of communication both oral and written skills, creativity and innovation skills, media and information literacy skills with adequate portrayal of life and career skills," she said.

Jeruta said that, through the tool, the DepEd can now evaluate as to the implementation of the K to 12 Program.

She said there will be survey questionnaires and every school offering senior high will have to let their graduates answer them. (FREEMAN)