THE ENHANCE BASIC EDUCATION ACT OF 2013

WRITTEN REPORT

Curriculum is not constant. It is dynamic and it undergoes reformation and

enhancement to continuously met the needs of the learners, teachers, and the nation.
Curricular innovation is the root of curriculum reformation and enhancement. The latest
educational reform that take place in our country is the Enhance Basic Education Act
of 2013 (Republic Act 10533). It was signed by the former President Benigno Aquino III
last May 15, 2013. It is an act enhancing the Philippine Basic Education system by
strengthening its curriculum and increasing the number of years of basic education. The
Enhance Basic Education Act of 2013 (Republic Act 10533) is commonly known as K to
12.
K to 12

Six Years Elementary Six Years Secondary

Education Education
Kindergarten Education
(Grade 1 -6) (Grade 7 -12)

Four Years Junior High Two Years Senior High

School (Grade 7 -10) School (Grade 11 -12)
STEM

HUMSS
Academic
ABM

TechVoc GAS

Sports

Art and Design

 The framework above contains the flow of the Enhance Basic Education Act of
2013. In the new curriculum, it was mandated that Kindergarten Education is a
prerequisite before a learner can enter Grade 1. The basic education was strengthened
through the additional 2 years. With the new law, a learner shall undergo 6 years
elementary education and 6 years secondary education. The secondary education was
comprises of two categories. The first four-year education (Grade 7 to Grade 10) is the
Junior High School and the additional two-year education is the Senior High School.

In the Senior High School, a learner can freely choose what track to take. There
are four tracks in Senior High School: Academic; Technical-Vocational Livelihood;
Sports; and Art and Design. The Academic track is divided into four categories namely
Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), Humanities and Social
Sciences (HUMSS), Accountancy Business and Management (ABM) and General
Academic Strand (GAS). If a student intended to go to college after Grade 12, then he/she
must take academic track. A learner preference program in college must be aligned in
his/her choice in Senior High School. TechVoc track is for learners who wants to engage
in early world of work. Arts and Design track and Sport track is for students who wants to
study arts and sports respectively.

Why K to 12?

Our basic education curriculum is far from the international standard. With the
implementation of the Enhance Basic Education Act of 2013, the inequalities become
obsolete. Every K to 12 graduates is ready to go into different paths – higher education
middle level skills development and employment. The K to 12 graduates are also
equipped with the 21st century skills like information, media and technology skills, learning
and innovation skills, effective communication skills, and life and career skills.

Existing reasons of the implementation of K to 12:

1. Mastery of basic competencies is insufficient due to congested curriculum

The results of National Achievement Test are evident that mastery of basic
competencies is insufficient. In the 2005 -2006 mathematics results, only 15% of
the students acquired mastery of Mathematics while majority (59.09%) of the high
school belonged to the low mastery level.

Science NAT results are more discouraging since only 3% of the 4th year
students in 2005 – 2006 mastered the Science processes and skills. Majority still
belong to the low mastery category.

(see National Achievement Test – Fourth Year SY 2004 – 2006)

 Congestion occurs in the 10 – year basic education curriculum. Legislators
believed that adding 2 years in the basic education will be the key to end the
congestion.

2. The Philippines is the only country in Asia with a 10 – year basic education
program

Due to the 10- year basic education, Philippines cannot compete globally.
It is a disadvantage for OFWs or Filipinos who wants to study abroad that our basic
education is incomplete compared to the standard aboard. Graduates of Philippine
schools are not automatically recognized as professionals outside the country.
The curriculum recommendation in Philippines specifically restoring Grade 7 or
adding extra year to basic education started 88 years ago but sad to say curriculum
improvements were officially take place in 2013.

3. Employability of Filipino high school graduates

The K to 12 graduates are ready to work. In Grade 10 and 12, the student
is supposed obtained a National Certificates level I and II from TESDA. This will
make them employable after graduating the 12th grade. In addition, K to 12
graduates are 18 years old who is legally employable.

Features of the K to 12
(based on the Section 5 of this law)

a. The curriculum shall be learner-centered, inclusive, and developmentally

appropriate;

The learner is the very reason of the entire curriculum system. The learners’
needs are highly considered in the making of the K to 12 curriculum framework.
All activities aim to be learner-centered. It gives prime importance to develop
self-propelling and independent lifelong learners. Teacher’s role is to facilitate
the learning process.
Inclusive education reaches all kind of learners regardless of ability,
condition, age, gender, ethnicity, and social status. Education must be flexible
to meet all kinds of learners’ needs. There should be an equal opportunity to
learn.
K to 12 curriculum considers various developmental stages of learners.
Age- appropriateness, individual differences and social and cultural diversity
are considered in selection of activities.
b. The curriculum shall be relevant, responsive, and research-based;
The K to 12 curricula is aligned with the national education and
development goal enunciated in the laws of the country and to the 10-point
education agenda of the President.
It responds to MDG and Education for All, the needs of nation and the
citizens.
All new features of this law undergoes research like adopting
localization, spiral system and the use of mother-tongue in grades 1 to 3.

c. The curriculum shall be culture sensitive;

The K to 12 curriculum respects all cultures and experiences of various
ethnic group.
d. The curriculum shall be contextualized and global;
The curriculum is contextualized and truly met the international
education standard.

e. The curriculum shall use pedagogical approaches that constructivist,

inquiry-based, reflective, collaborative and integrative;
Constructivist means the learners are not just merely a receiver of
instruction – its more than and opposite of it.
Inquiry-based means the learner has the chance to examine all
concepts, issues and information.
Reflective means learners should engage in self-evaluation and self-
reflection.
Collaborative means learning is a social activity. Two minds are better
than one.
Integrative means subjects are taught in multi-disciplinary and inter-
disciplinary approach. Science and Math can be correlated. Araling panlipunan
and EsP can be reading material for Filipino subject.

f. The curriculum shall adhere to the principles and framework of Mother

Tongue – Based Multilingual (MTB-MLE) which start from where the
learners are and from what they already knew proceeding from the known
to the unknown; instructional materials and capable teachers to
implement the MTB – MLE shall be available;
The use of first language so that values, identities, culture, heritage and
ethnicity can be preserve.
 g. The curriculum shall use the spiral progression approach to ensure the
mastery of knowledge and skills after each level; and
Contents are repeated but the level of complexity increases to ensure
mastery of learning.

h. The curriculum shall be flexible enough to enable and allows schools to

localize, indigenize and enhance the same based on their perspective
educational and social contexts. The production and development shall
be locally produce teaching materials shall be encouraged and approval
of these materials shall be devolve to the regional and division education
units.

Core Curriculum

Below are the learning areas comprising the core curriculum. The
description is based on DepEd Memo 13 s 2013.

DESCRIPTION
Learning Area
Grades 1 to 6 Grade 7 to 10
Integrated Language Arts The ultimate goal is communicative Naglalayong malinang ang (1)
 Mother Tongue competence both oral and written in kakayahang komunikatibo at (2)
 Filipino three languages. kahusayan san pag-unawa at
 English pagpapahalang pampanitikan.

Science Aims to develop scientific literacy Deals with the basic concept of Biology,
among students that will prepare them Chemistry, Physics, and Earth/Space
to be informed and participative citizens Sciences.
who are able to judgements and
decisions regarding application of
scientific knowledge that may have
social, health or environmental impacts.
Recognizes the place of science and
technology in everday’s life.
Mathematics Basic concept and ideas on numbers, Includes key concept of number sense-
number sense-geometry, geometry, measurement, patterns and
measurement, patterns and algebra, algebra, probability and statistics.
probability and statistics.
Araling Panlipunan Nagtuturo ng konsepto sa Naglalayong tumalakay sa kasaysayan
pananagutang sarili, pamilya, kapwa, ng Pilipinas, magpamalas ng malalim
bansa/daigdig at diyos: pananagutan na pag-unawa sa mga pangunahiing
sa kabutihang panlahat upang kaisipan at napapanahong isyu,
mamuhay nang may kaayusan, kasaysayan pangdaigdig, at ekonomiya
katiwasayan,kaunlaran, tungo sa at pag unlad.
kaligayahan ng tao.
Edukasyong Pantahan at Develops knowledge, skills, values and Develops knowledge, skills, values and
Pangkabuhayan (EPP) / attitude in Agriculture, attitude in Agriculture,
 Technology and Livelihood Entrepreneurship and Information Entrepreneurship and Information
Education (TLE) Communication Technology, Home Communication Technology, Home
Economics, and Industrial Art. Economics, and Industrial Art.
Music, Art, Physical Education Music program focuses artistic Curriculum design is based on spiral
and Health (MAPEH) expression and cultural literacy. progression and grounded in
Curriculum design is based on spiral performance based learning.
progression and grounded in Music and Art deal with the study of
performance based learning. Learner man’s aesthetic expressions through
should effectively correlate music and sound (music) and visuals (art)
art to the development of his/her mirroring the sentiments and ideas of
cultural identity and expand his/her society and culture, and contributing to
vision of the world. the development of individual and
collective identity.

The Art program provides recognizing, Physical Education and Health promote
creating, appreciating, and critiquing the development of active and healthy
their own artistic works and the works of lifestyle. PE focuses in the five strands
others. Exploration of Philippine art and namely: body management,
the world. movements skills, games and sports,
rhythm and dance, and physical fitness.
The Physical Education program is
anchored on the tenet “Move to Learn The Health program deals with
and Learn to Move” with the ultimate physical, mental, emotional, social,
goal of achieving lifelong fitness. moral and spiritual dimension of health
that enable learners to acquire
The Health program focuses on the essential knowledge, attitude, and skills
physical, mental, emotional, social, necessary to promote good nutrition,
moral and spiritual dimension of health. prevent and control diseases,
substance use and abuse, reduce
health-related risk behavior and
injuries.

Edukasyon sa Pagkakatao Ito ang asignaturang gagabay at Ang EsP ay naglalayong malinang at
(EsP) huhubog sa mga kabataan. Ang mapaunlad ang kakayahan ng mga
tunguhin ng EsP ay kabataang mag-aaral sa moral na pagpapasya.
nagpapasya at kumikilos nang Apat na tema ang nililinang sa paraang
mapanagutang tungo sa kabutihang expanding spiral: (a) Pananagutang
panlahat. Nangangahulugan paunlarin Pansarili at Pagiging Kasapi sa
ang pagkataong etikal sa pamamagitan Pamilya, (b) Pakikipagkapwa at
ng pagpapaunlad sa limang Katatagan ng Pamilya, (c) Paggawa
pangunahing kakayahan: pag-unawa, tungo sa Pambansang Pagpapaunlad
pagninilay, pagsangguni, pagpapasya at pakikibahagi sa Pandaigdigang
at pagkilos. Pagkakaisa at (d) Pagkamaka-Diyos at
Presensya sa Kabutihan.
 Senior High School
The Senior High School has a total of thirty-one subjects. The 31 subjects are
grouped into fifteen (15) core subjects, seven (7) contextualized subjects and nine (9)
specialization subjects.

15 CORE SUBJECTS
1. Oral Communication
2. Reading & Writing
3. Komunikasyon at Pananaliksik sa Wikang Filipino at Kulturang Pilipino
4. Pagbasa at Pagsuri ng Iba’t ibang TekstoTungo sa Pananaliksik
5. 21st Century Literature from the Philippines and the World
6. Contemporary Philippine Arts from the Regions
7. Media Communication and Literacy
8. General Mathematics
9. Statistic and Probability
10. Earth and Life Sciences
11. Physical Sciences
12. Personal Development / Pansariling Kaunlaran
13. Understanding Society and Culture
14. Intro to Philosophy of the Human Person
15. Physical Education and Health

7 CONTEXTUALIZED SUBJECTS

ACADEMIC TRACK TECH-VOC, SPORTS, ART AND DESIGN TRACK

1. English for Academic and Professional 1. English for the Professions
Purposes 2. Research Skills 1
2. Research in Daily Life 1 3. Research Skills 2
3. Research in Daily Life 2 4. Mga Diskurso sa Trabaho
4. Pagsulat sa Filipino sa Piling Larangan 5. ICT applications
5. Entrepreneurship 6. Entrepreneurship
6. Empowerment Technologies (E-Tech): 7. Research Project/ Culminating Activity
ICT for Professional Tracks
7. Research Project/ Culminating Activity

9 SPECIALIZATION SUBJECTS
 ABM  STEM
1. Applied Economics 1. Pre-Calculus
2. Business Ethics and Social Responsibility 2. Basic Calculus
3. Fundamentals of Accountancy, Business 3. General Biology 1
and Management 1 4. General Biology 2
4. Fundamentals of Accountancy, Business 5. General Physics 1
and Management 1 6. General Physics 2
5. Business Math 7. General Chemistry 1
6. Business Finance 8. General Chemistry 2
7. Organization and Management 9. Work Immersion/Research/Career
8. Principles of Marketing Advocacy/Culminating Activity
9. Work Immersion/Research/ Career
Advocacy/Culminating
  HUMSS
1. Creative Writing
2. Creative Non-Fiction: The Literacy Essay
3. Word Religions and Belief Systems
4. Trends, Networks and Critical thinking in the 21 st Century
5. Philippine Politics and Governance
6. Community Engagement, Social Participation and Citizenship
7. Disciplines and Ideas in the Social Sciences
8. Disciplines and Ideas in the Applied Sciences
9. Work Immersion/Research/Career Advocacy/Culminating

 General Academic Strand

1. Humanities 1
2. Humanities 2
3. Social Science 1
4. Applied Economics
5. Organization and Management
6. Disaster Readiness and Risk Reduction
7. Elective 1 (from any track/strand)
8. Elective 2 (from any track/strand)
9. Work Immersion/Research/Career Advocacy/Culminating Activity

 Sports
1. Safety and First Aid
2. Human Movement
3. Fundamentals of Coaching
4. Sports Officiating and Activity Management
5. Fitness, Sports and Recreation Leadership
6. Psychosocial Aspects of Sports and Exercise
7. Fitness Testing and Exercise Programming
8. Practicum (in-campus)
9. Work Immersion/Research/Career Advocacy/Culminating Activity

 Arts and Design tracks

Arts Track 1 Introduction to Applied Arts and Design Production
Arts Track 2 Introduction to Performing Arts
Arts Track 3 Understanding Elements and Principles of the Different Arts
Arts Track 4 Work Environment in Various Arts Fields
Arts Track 5 Developing Filipino Identify in the Arts
Arts Track 6 Leadership and Management in Different Arts Fields
Arts Track 7 Apprenticeship and Exploration of Different Arts Fields
(Production and Performing: Music, Dance and Theater)

Arts Track 8
Arts Track 9 Apprenticeship and Exploration of Different Arts Design Production
(Media Arts, Visual Arts, And Literary Arts)