The Department of Education or DepEd should be submitting a quarterly report about the progress of the implementation of the “K to 12 Program”, which seeks to expand the curriculum and adds two more years in the basic education cycle, a veteran solon said.
In filing House Bill No. 5715, Valenzuela City Congressman Win Gatchalian sought to amend Republic Act No. 10533 or the “Enhanced Basic Education Act”, which is more popularly known as the “K to 12 Law”.
The “K to 12 Law” mandates DepEd to report on the status of “K to 12 Program” every six months, which Gatchalian wants to be submitted every three months.
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“The quarterly assessment endeavors to facilitate in providing for immediate measures that will mitigate any setback which the program may face in its implementation,” the former Valenzuela City mayor explained.
Gatchalian, a member of the House Committee on Basic and Technical Education, noted it is necessary for the DepEd to report every three months, instead of six months, to easily address possible gaps in the transition of the basic education curriculum form.
“Change is never easy, but ‘K to 12 program’ should not fail if the government works collaboratively with the intention of making sure that quality education is delivered to the Filipino youth,” the lawmaker said.
In their progress report, DepEd will update the status on the shortages of teachers, classrooms, textbooks, school desks, and toilets. The education department is also required to submit a report on the construction of learning facilities, such as laboratories, libraries, and centers for sports, music and arts.
Under HB 5715, DepEd is also mandated to report on key metrics of access to and quality of basic education, which includes the current student retention rate, completion rate, results of National Achievement Test or NAT, teacher’s welfare and training profile, adequacy of funding requirements and other learning factors.
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Aside from a quarterly report, Gatchalian also called on DepEd and the Commission on Higher Education or CHED to spearhead the information campaign for the “K to 12 program” so that affected students and their parents will know the positive effects of the new curriculum reform.
Gatchalian lamented that the DepEd and CHED have not been aggressive enough in implementing their supposed “Communications Plan” for the “K to 12 Program” since affected teachers and concerned parents were the once who have been getting media attention to air their disagreement with the additional two years in high school.
“Sad to say, the DepEd and CHED have been losing the media war on the ‘K to 12 Program’ and members of the academe who are against the program are the ones getting the good publicity and even the Supreme Court is sympathetic with the affected college instructors,” said Gatchalian. (Tim Alcantara)
