K-12, a term used in education and educational technology in the United States, Canada, and

possibly other countries, is a short form for the publicly-supported school grades prior to college.
These grades are kindergarten (K) and the 1st through the 12th grade (1-12)

The K-12 Basic Education Program aims to provide every Filipino child with the education s/he
needs to compete in a global context. ... The goal of the new curriculum is to give Filipino
students enough time to master skills and concepts so that they are ready for tertiary education
when the time come.

The K to 12 Program covers Kindergarten and 12 years of basic education (six years of
primary education, four years of Junior High School, and two years of Senior High School
[SHS]) to provide sufficient time for mastery of concepts and skills, develop lifelong learners,
and prepare graduates for tertiary education,

The implementation of K-12 curriculum in the country drew negative reactions from various
societal groups. Since 2011, critics have been very vocal on their primary concerns. They insist
the government isn’t yet ready for this new system and that this is more of additional burden to
students and their parents.

Despite calls to suspend the program, the government remained firm saying this new educational
system offers opportunities for Filipino students and the national economy.

For its part, the Department of Education (DepEd) stresses that the country is prepared for a big
shift in education system. In fact, it has worked to fulfill the gaps on the number of classrooms,
teachers, and textbooks. Also, it has finished the planning phases along with stakeholders.

But what does K-12 scheme really has to offer to students?

To prove that K-12 system is more than just adding two more years to high school, below is
three of the many practical benefits of schooling under a 13-year education cycle:

1. Preparedness for tertiary learning – With adaptation of K-12 scheme, students are expected
to graduate at age a bit older than past graduates’. This is an advantage, according to DepEd,
as graduates will be considered young adults. Hence, they will be more equipped to deal
with much higher level of learning as they enter college education.
2. Readiness to join the workforce – Unlike the old system, K-12 does not compel each student
to take college after completing Senior High School (SHS). In fact, this scheme empowers
students to make a choice on their own. They may not pursue college education especially if
they have chosen a track other than academic track. The good thing is SHS graduates will be
equipped with skills (through electives) that will make them good at certain field(s).
3. Skill competency in the global job market – K-12 system aims to improve Filipino students’
mathematical, scientific, and linguistic competence. With the new curriculum, DepEd
promised to offer higher quality education through tracks. Each track will give students
enough time to master a field and enhance their skills. In the end, K-12 graduates will
become globally competitive and are set to obtain spot in the stiff labor market.
The government believes that K to 12 curriculums in the Philippines will put Filipino students at
par with the rest of the world. Truly, investing in education is the key toward reaching national
growth and development.

The Philippines is undergoing a major overhaul to bring it in line with education systems
worldwide, starting with the K-12 sector. This change to domestic education policy has far-
reaching consequences and is important for international educational institutions to consider
when looking for potential new student recruitment markets.
With the new 12-year curriculum in place, future Filipino students will be ready and better
equipped to join overseas universities at the undergraduate level. And with a K-12 student
population of 20.67 million, which will only increase over the next 20 years (see ICEF
Monitor’sarticle “New 2035 enrolment forecasts place East Asia and the Pacific in the lead“), the
Philippines is shaping up to be an attractive recruitment destination.
Changes to basic education

The K-12 Basic Education Program aims to provide every Filipino child with the education s/he
needs to compete in a global context.
In May, President Benigno Aquino of the Philippines signed into law a basic education
curriculum that will see a mandatory kindergarten year and two additional senior high school
years added to what was a 10-year education curriculum to make basic education 12 years. The
programme has been adopted not only in schools in the Philippines, but also in Filipino schools
abroad that follow the department’s curriculum. Gulfnews reports:
“According to Aquino, the K-12 programme will pave the way for an ever brighter future for
young Filipinos by equipping them with basic education up to international standards.”

The goal of the new curriculum is to give Filipino students enough time to master skills and
concepts so that they are ready for tertiary education when the time comes.
Kindergarten was previously optional, and advocates of the K-12 programme argue that students
who went to kindergarten are better prepared for primary education than those who did not. In
addition, the K-12 programme “provides for the use of the ‘mother tongue‘ language as the
medium of instruction for students in the basic and lower years to facilitate and expedite
learning.”
This fabulous interactive map of all public schools in the country could be a useful tool in
planning a recruitment strategy. It contains data on the school’s budget, enrolment statistics,
education indicators, number of teaching personnel, furniture, textbooks, classrooms, plus the
water and power supply of some 45,000 schools nationwide.
10 Point Education Agenda

The move to the K-12 policy comes as part of the 10 Point Education Agenda which was set out
by the current government administration. The K-12 Basic Education Program, universal
kindergarten and instruction in mother-tongue languages are but three of the ten points Aquino’s
administration want to implement in order to improve the overall quality of education in Filipino
schools.
The other seven points include:
 Establish the Madaris Education as a sub-system in the current education system;
 Make every child a reader by Grade 1;
 Improve science and mathematics;
 Expand government assistance to private education;
 Better textbooks;
 Build more schools in cooperation with local government units (LGUs);
 Re-introduce technical and vocational education in public high schools.
Australia extends a helping hand

Australia has long been a friend to the Philippines – donating time, funding and other resources,
as well as working with the nation to develop and ensure quality. Last month, the country
granted PHP 8.4 billion (nearly US $193 million) “to address basic education issues and support
the implementation of the K-12 programme.”
They have also funded a project to “enhance the skills of school officials in managing school
processes and turn schools into learner-centred institutions that continually improve and build on
its best practices.”
In return, Australia is surely hoping Filipino schools and students will select Oz as their
destination of choice for partnerships and study. As ICEF Monitor reported in February, the
Philippines is one of the top ten student markets for Australian schools, colleges and universities.
Building classrooms and adding teachers

As mentioned, one of the ten points on the Education Agenda aims to address severe
overcrowding in Philippine schools and the shortage of classrooms.
In October of last year, the Department of Education signed an agreement “with two winning
consortia which will undertake the construction of close to 10,000 classrooms.”
The department’s Public Private Partnership for School Infrastructure Project (PSIP) will give
schools the physical space they need and “provides the private sector the business opportunity to
invest in the design, construction and maintenance of classrooms.”
Philippine Education Secretary Armin A. Luistro has said he hopes that by doing so, the
classrooms would stand as a testament to Filipino capability and efficiency. Progress is well
underway; construction of more than 9,000 classrooms began in March of this year.
But making more room for students is only half the solution; someone has to teach them and as
of early last month, the Department of Education still hadn’t filled over 61,500 teaching
positions.

An increase in student enrolment which caused the shortage of teachers was due to an increase in
kindergarten students – a result of the new K-12 curriculum, as well as students who were
formerly enrolled in private school transferring to public school because of tuition fee hikes.
Student enrolment in 2012/3 stood at 20.67 million: 1.77 million kindergarten students, 13.26
million elementary students, and 5.64 million high school students.
For foreign education providers, this lack of qualified teachers could mean an opportunity to
partner with institutions in the Philippines to develop a teacher-training programme or
qualification.
Increased focus on vocational education

A final point on the 10 Point Education Agenda calls for a re-introduction of vocational and
technical education in high schools, which has been designed to give Filipino students practical
skills to gain employment after graduation – a key component in tackling the high youth
unemployment rate in the Philippines.
Some advocates are calling for the adoption of the German model of apprenticeship. The Manilla
Bulletin reported:
“The Philippine Business for Education (PBEd) wants the country to incorporate Germany’s
system of dual technical-vocational education into the K-12 basic education programme.”

It is hoped that adopting the German model would help address the skills mismatch between
Filipino graduates and the jobs available. Ramon del Rosario, chairman of the PBEd, has said
now is the time to implement the apprenticeship system, because of the start of the K-12
curriculum: “It is a good time because of the development of the senior high school curriculum
and that will have a track towards technical vocational education.”
In May, the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) announced it had
completed the K-12 technical vocational curriculum, and everything was in place for the start of
the new school year.
TESDA Secretary Joel Villanueva said, “Technical vocational education and training (TVET)
will play a central role in the new education model that prepares students for tertiary education,
middle-skills development, employment and entrepreneurship.” Courses include automotive
servicing, horticulture, welding, consumer electronics, dressmaking/tailoring, carpentry, food
processing and beauty care.

With such a strong focus on promoting technical-vocational education, foreign providers who are
looking to work in the Philippines might want to consider how they can contribute to this
development.
The Philippines as a study destination

Like many of its neighbouring countries, the Philippines has its eye on becoming a study
destination of choice for students from the Asia-Pacific region.
In January of this year, the Philippine Bureau of Immigration reported that of the 203,753
foreigners in the country, 47,478 are studying in schools and universities across the country
(which is 14% higher than the 41,443 foreigners who applied in 2011). The bulk of those
(31,000) are under the age of 18 and studying at an elementary or high school or on a short-term
(less than 1 year) course.
The Bureau’s Commissioner Ricardo David Jr said: “Our country is fast emerging as a new
educational hub in the Asia-Pacific region. More and more foreigners are coming here to study
and it demonstrates recognition of the improved quality of our educational system.” He attributed
the influx of foreign students to the quality of teaching and the use of English as the medium of
instruction.
Some of those students chose the Philippines to study English, and the government is hoping to
boost ESL student numbers by making it easier for them to stay and learn.
In June, the Bureau of Immigration launched a long-stay tourist visa which allows holders to stay
for up to six months – plenty of time to spend studying on a language course.

Last year, ICEF Monitor reported that for international students studying English in
Australia, the Philippines had entered the competition as a destination option for the first time in
2011. Backing that up, an article in The PIE News quotes Ruth Tizon, Programme Director of the
Philippines ESL Tour Program, as saying,
“The Philippines can compete with the US, UK or Australia as an ideal destination for studying
the English language. Aside from its large English-speaking population [93.5% of Filipinos
speak English well], competent schools and faculty, the Philippines has a rich cultural heritage,
offers diverse tourism attractions and activities, and warmth and hospitality not found anywhere
else in the world.”

One thing is clear: the Philippines is looking ahead. With a growing population and a budding
economy, demand for quality education is high. Many Filipino parents welcome the basic
education reforms and are looking forward to more opportunities for their children in vocational
and higher education. We explore both in this follow-up piece.