ADVANTAGES OF K-12 EDUCATION

The program aims to uplift the quality of education in the Philippines in order for graduates to be
easily employed. The program also aims to meet the standards required for professionals who
would want to work abroad.
Most importantly, the system aims to fully enhance and develop the students in order for them to
be well-prepared especially in emotional and cognitive aspects. Through this, graduates will be
able to face the pressures of their future workplace.
There may be a lot of factors to consider for the K+12 Education to succeed. But as long as we
open our minds to change and we will take it on a positive way, we will definitely attain our mostaspired educational standards which will play a great role in our countrys development and will
therefore, uplift us from poverty.
Batas Pambansa blg.232 or the education act of 1986 defines elementary education as the first
stage of compulsory, formal education and usually corresponding to six or seven grades,
including preschool. To achieve universal primary education, and objectives of education for all
(EFA) the inclusion of preschool, currently known as kindergarten in the basic education cycle,
making it free and compulsory is presently being considered at the policy level. Kindergarten
education or the K+12 will prepare 5 year old children physically, socially, emotionally, and
mentally for formal schooling.K+12 will increase the children chance of surviving and completing
formal schooling, reducing dropouts incidence and insuring better school performance. The
universal Kindergarten education will the readiness and foundationally skills of the children to be
ready for the primary grades. The other Advantages are presented below:
1.

Enhancing the quality of basic education in the Philippines is urgent and critical.

2. The poor quality of basic education is reflected in the low achievement scores of
Filipino students. One reason is that students do not get adequate instructional time or time
on task.
3. International test results consistently show Filipino students lagging way behind
practically everybody else in the world. In the 2008 mathematics exam, for example, we
came in dead last.
4. The congested curriculum partly explains the present state of education. Twelve years
of content are crammed into ten years.
5. This quality of education is reflected in the inadequate preparation of high school
graduates for the world of work or entrepreneurship or higher education. If ten years were
adequate, how come employers do not hire fresh high school graduates? How come most
high school graduates flunk the UPCAT?
6. Most graduates are too young to enter the labor force. Since most children start Grade
1 when they are 6 years old, they do not reach the legal employable age of 18 when they
graduate from high school today.
7. The current system also reinforces the misperception that basic education is just a
preparatory step for higher education. Why prioritize the minority of high school graduates
that go to college?

8. The short duration of the basic education program also puts the millions of overseas
Filipino workers (OFWs), especially the professionals, and those who intend to study abroad,
at a disadvantage. Our graduates are not automatically recognized as professionals abroad.
The best examples are our engineering graduates, who are condemned to international jobs
not befitting their professional status due to our not having a 12-year basic education cycle.
9. The short basic education program affects the human development of the Filipino
children. If we believe that 17-year-old high school graduates are emotionally,
psychologically, and intellectually mature, why do we require them to get parental consent
before they get married?

DISADVANTAGE of K-12
If the K-12 Education Plan becomes successful, then the Philippine education system can
become more competitive among other countries around the world. Though there are still some
problems that the government needs to solve before they can successfully implement the plan.
The proposed program is good but it still won't work if the needed elements to make it work isn't
present. Such elements includes the number of public school classrooms plus the adequate
supply of classroom chairs, books, etc. If the government could allot a bigger budget to
educational needs, then we could be one-step ahead towards the success of the K-12 program.
Furthermore, parents (especially those who belongs in the poor sector) should be properly
informed and motivated of the advantages of the K-12 Education Plan. This is very important
since parents plays a major role in providing the child's school allowances, supplies, and fees
for other school projects and activities. Add to that the support of parents towards their children
in terms of guidance and teaching.
The DepEd seems all set to add two more years to the countrys 10 year basic education
curriculum. this is a very tough issue to crack. we think it is a clash between reality and the
ideal. a question unanswered is this for the common good?
the truth is there are already many problems at the current 10-year curriculum and it has
nothing to do with number of years. to enumerate a few there are not enough qualified
teachers to teach all the students; that is made worst with just too many students; there are not
enough classrooms and schools to comfortably fit all the students (not to mention not enough
bathrooms and water supply); there are not enough books; add the problem of poor quality
books, on top of that there are not enough facilities and finally very high drop out rates. The
latter, high drop out rates is being caused by something out of the education system but affects
a large part of the population poverty. there are just so many poor families and they are so
poor that many of them cannot afford to pay for the already meager amount needed for the
education of their children. grade school and high school are free in public schools with parents
needing to just spend on uniforms, fare and some expenses. the tuition which normally

accounts for a very large share of the total expenses are free and yet most poor families can still
not afford of what is left for them to spend. it is not that the expenses are high, its just their
income is very, very low.
it is this inability to afford the other expenses that has caused a very high drop out rate among
students.
this plan of the DepEd to add two more years will of course not solve any of the above
problems. in fact, it will only extend all those problems by two more years. a longer basic
education will also mean even higher drop out rates. Then there is the problem of additional
expenses for the government. as of now, with the 10 year curriculum, there is already
desperate lack of classrooms and schools. the public schools cannot turn the students away
when they show up to enroll. to cope many public schools have crammed as many students as
they can inside the classroom with classrooms crammed with chairs from wall to wall. not
enough, the schools conduct classes in at least shifts, in some instances classes held very
early in the morning till late in the evening.
with two additional years, the schools will definitely need to construct new buildings and
classrooms or God forbid conduct classes 24/7.
the above is the reality part.
The other disadvantages are presented below:
1.

Opponents of year-round school cite:

Year-round schools show little to no academic improvement due to the calendar change.
2. Multi-tracking, while cost effective in the short term, actually ends up costing more due to
higher utility costs, less or no down time for building maintenance, and the loss of opportunity to
build before the cost of labor and materials rise after population increases force the building of
new facilities. Multi-tracking does not alleviate the need for new school construction, it merely
puts off the decision to build until it is even more cost prohibitive, thus locking comeunities into
overcrowded schools and multi-tracking year-round calendars. Multi-tracking can cause family
and community disintegration. This occurs when siblings/neighbors are on different tracks.
Further disintegration is seen when extended family and church members are on different
tracks, or in the case of single-tracking, different inter sessions.
3. Teachers' ability to attend college classes in the summer is compromised due to a yearround calendar. Teachers who have children in a year-round school, but teach in a non yearround school, or in a year-round school on a different track or calendar, are not able to vacation
at the same time during the year or the summer as their family.
Teachers have more problems with children staying focused before a break, and upon return
due to the more frequent breaks throughout the year.

4. Students on year-round calendars tend to lose out on summer employment to their non yearround counterparts. Student burnout can increase due to the reduction in down time during the
summer. Advanced placement classes are sometimes removed in favor of year-round
calendars. Students in year-round schools have more opportunities to forget what they learned
due to the added and extended breaks throughout the year.
5. Summer school, where classes can be taken for credit are replaced with inter sessions.
throughout the year, for no credit. Inter sessions. tend to turn into play time as inter session
content turns into fluff classes and sometimes taught by community volunteers with no
background check required.
6. Curriculum and materials for the normal school year are approved by the board, but
curriculum and materials for inter sessions. are not. Community members who want to maintain
family time and traditions are pitted against those in favor of the change causing community
division.
7. School districts frequently employ deceptive methods to push the calendar through. Many
surveys are framed to yield a predetermined result, yet only the numbers are reported. Difficulty
in scheduling school-wide events such as student assemblies, open-house, or PTA meetings
and other functions because at least 1 track is out of school at any point in time.
Child care is more difficult to obtain and some health problems are seen when conducting
school activities and classes in the summer heat and people find it hard to pay attention.