K to 12 Curriculum 1

Introduction
The Philippines launched its "K to 12" program in 2012, a comprehensive reform of basic
education. It is catching up with global standards in secondary education through this reform and
attaching high value to the kindergarten. The education system's structure, curricula, and theory
undergo change and enhancement. The key points of the new policy are readiness for higher
education, eligibility to join higher education institutions at home and abroad and immediate
employability at graduation, all contributing to a “holistically established Philippines.
The K to 12 curriculum includes 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)) in order to provide sufficient time to master concepts and skills, grow lifelong learners,
and train students for tertiary education, middle-level skills development, jobs, and
entrepreneurship. At the heart of the K-12 basic education system lies a holistic human
development. This envisages a candidate with a master's degree in core competencies, as well as
a solid work and life skills instruction. As we know, in a nation, the quality of education leads to
the economic development of a region. Human capital management is an investment which a
country undertakes to sustain improved economic outcomes. Through the optimisation of human
resources, regional outcomes are improved as well (Barro, 2001). The quality of education
depends on the clear directions set out in the national curriculum, an empowered teaching force
with excellent teachers properly guided by supervisors, foster a learning environment that
encourages learning among students, including materials, technology and tools for learning.
Common benchmarks for the advancement of the national curriculum include the outcomes of
subject areas (English, Science, Math, etc.) which intend to produce skilled and competent
graduates with the right attitude and values. The quality of graduates provided by educational
institutions is calculated by academic, professional, and job outcomes that result in economic
improvements. In view of this principle, the fundamental move towards economic growth is to
change and improve the national curriculum, especially in the foundation years of education
from childhood to adolescence.
The ideal learner model in the new curricula is relevant for improving the human
resource and manpower required for social and economic development in the Philippines.
Human resource training and preparation for a wider variety of learning and employment
opportunities is becoming the core role of education. These elements are quantitative in that they
are measurable. The progress of student learning and the state of employment are facts which can
be statistically reviewed and interpreted. "Holistic development" must however extend beyond
statistical and quantifiable dimensions. It is also necessary to develop the non-measurable
aspects of learning, and the non-cognitive skills of the student. The "K to 12" curriculum
addresses the non-cognitive aspect added to a student's skills and ability, but it's unclear how
education actually seeks to improve these. Despite being difficult to measure, holistic aspects
such as mutual understanding of social and cultural differences, the ability to express oneself, or
a willingness to cope with risks are important to Filipino society and must be fostered by
education.
 K to 12 Curriculum 2

Improving basic education thus contributes not only to economic growth and poverty
alleviation but also to social unity and the formation of personality. The Philippines has long
suffered from endemic social and economic issues such as unemployment, poverty and conflicts
in the ethics field. The “K to 12” Program and reform of the country’s education can be seen as
one step toward overcoming these long-standing problems.
The K-12 wants to address some of the long-standing issues in basic education, such as
an overburdened curriculum, the ineptitude of many graduates of the current basic education
model and the consequent lack of readiness to take on the rigors of college life, the age-related
incapacity of high school graduates to work as they are usually 16-year-old individuals who are
still unable to enter into a contract legally, the discrepancy between the curriculum and the skills
the industry needs, and the difficulty of obtaining equivalence or accreditation abroad for those
students who wish to study elsewhere, since most countries, especially in the South-East Asian
region, require 12 years of basic training.

Theoretical and Legal Basis

A nation's success depends heavily on the strength of the education system. Ideally the
Philippine government adheres to this belief. A replay of the Philippine Constitution of 1987
tells us that the State's centralized system gives primacy to education as a basic human right. The
following are some of the provisions that serve as the basic framework for ensuring that
education is indeed properly valued.
"The State shall give priority to education, science and technology, arts,
culture, and sports to foster patriotism and nationalism, accelerate social
progress, and promote total human liberation and development" (Section 17,
Article 2).
"The State shall protect and promote the right of all citizens to quality
education at all levels, and shall take appropriate steps to make such
education accessible to all" (Section 1, Article 14).
"The State recognizes the complementary roles of public and private institutions
in the educational system and shall exercise reasonable supervision and
regulation of all educational institutions" (Section 4, Article 14).
"The State shall assign the highest budgetary priority to education and ensure
that teaching will attract and retain its rightful share of the best available
talents through adequate remuneration and other means of job satisfaction and
fulfilment" (Section 5, Article 14).

Based on the above constitutional provisions, there is no question that education is of

paramount importance for people's well-being and thus has a positive impact on the country's
over-all status. Nevertheless, multiple measures show that the quality of Philippine education
K to 12 Curriculum 3

remains in decline: poor performance in international comparative scientific and mathematical

examinations, unpreparedness of some, if not most, high school graduates to take on the rigors of
college academic life, and abilities and competencies of graduates inadequately meeting industry
needs.
Standing alone, Philippine education was under severe threats of deterioration as
compared with others. Many factors can be considered as causes including (a) no broad political
support of real reform, (b) a weak institutional environment for change, and (c) rapid population
growth (von Amsberg, 2003, p 4).
While converging towards common world educational norms and borrowing models from
other countries, there are specific aspects of the Philippine educational system. One of these
concerns the country’s racial and lingual diversity. The education system had largely overlooked
this diversity before the “K to 12” program. Under the new curriculum, children grades 1 to 3
will be able to take lessons in their mother tongue as well as studying Tagalog. How well this
change copes with the multi-lingual challenge facing the country will be a major issue in a future
“K to 12” program evaluation.
With respect to the curriculum, the existing BEC and SEC are being replaced with the
2012 K to 12 Curriculum. This new curriculum is geared towards the learner’s holistic
development. It emphasizes the outcome- based approach to better prepare students for higher
education and to provide them with middle- level skills useful for employment and developing
entrepreneurship. The program is rooted in the values of inclusiveness, growth and development
of learners, teaching and learning, and evaluation is of critical importance.
The updated curriculum’s pedagogical characteristics are (1) readiness for further study
or work, and (2) flexibility in the conduct of lessons and courses in evaluating educational
outcomes. Expressions regarding higher education or job preparedness are common in the new
curriculum declaration and documents and multilingual education plus frequent testing to assess
schooling outcomes will lead to more efficient learning of the students.
Conversely, basic education has been an issue in the country. Connection via the
Education for All (EFA) program has had a setback. At the same time, connection to and the
rates of secondary education enrolment has remained almost constant. Other problems include
the dropout rate and congested curricula as a result of the number of courses that schools must
cram into their curricula in order to fulfil the mandated educational requirements. But along with
the need to increase access to basic education, the Philippines also has to improve qualitatively
or pedagogically what students learn.

Highlights of the Concept

 Being and Becoming a Whole Person
By Universal Kindergarten every Filipino child now has access to early childhood education.
Children start schooling at the age of 5, and are given the opportunity to adapt gradually to
formal education. Research shows that the level of completion of children who completed
kindergarten are higher than those who did not. Children who complete a standards-based
Kindergarten program are better prepared, for primary education.
K to 12 Curriculum 4

Early childhood education lays the foundation for a child's lifelong learning and complete
growth. A human being's early years, from 0 to 6 years, are the most critical period in which the
brain develops to at least 60-70 percent of adult size [Ref: K to 12 Toolkit]. In kindergarten,
children learn the alphabet, numbers, shapes and colors in their mother tongue through games,
songs and dances. Local culture, history, and reality are based on examples, activities, songs,
poems, stories, and illustrations. That makes the lessons meaningful and easy to understand for
the learners.
Through continuity and consistency across all levels and subjects, students gain in-depth
knowledge, skills, beliefs, and attitudes. The expanded curriculum provides debates on topics
such as Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR), Climate Change Adaptation, and Information &
Communication Technology (ICT). Students can learn best through their first language, Mother
Tongue (MT). Twelve (12) MT languages have been introduced for SY 2012-2013: Bahasa Sug,
Bikol, Cebuano, Chabacano, Hiligaynon, Iloko, Kapampangan, Maguindanaoan, Meranao,
Pangasinense, Tagalog, and Waray. In subsequent school years, additional local languages will
be added.
Apart from the Mother Tongue, English and Filipino are taught as subjects beginning with
Grade 1, with an emphasis on oral fluency. Grades 4 to 6 increasingly incorporate English and
Filipino as instructional languages. Both will become primary languages of instruction in Junior
High School (JHS) and Senior High School (SHS).

 Curriculum Support System

Basic education lasts about 10 years in the Philippines. Filipino students formally begin their
primary education at the age of 6 for year 1 until the age of about 12 (year 6), which covers the
primary level in the Philippines, called elementary. Secondary stage begins with four years
(years 1 to 4: high school) starting at age 13 to 16. Students in the Philippines move to higher
education after completing 4 years of secondary level. The Philippines has spent the fewest
number of years studying and preparing for basic education relative to all other countries in Asia.
In other countries like Brunei Darussalam, Malaysia, Singapore, Australia, Thailand, and
Vietnam, to name a few, spend about 13 years completing the system of basic education. Longer
schooling means more learning, more time spent mastering skills and developing skills, more
learning outcomes and more opportunities to become exposed to the learning environment
(Gormley & Gayer, 2005).

A two year extension of secondary schooling will help decongest the curriculum. Content
which had to be taught in 4 years will now be taught in 6 years. The 'K to 12' plan also makes it
possible to move the curriculum smoothly from kindergarten through elementary school through
high school. Graduates will graduate with a high school diploma and they can also acquire a
Certificate of Competencies or a National Certification showing that they have acquired a mid-
level of skill in their specialization when going on for higher education or getting a job.

As can be gleaned from what is actually being done, and what DepEd is aiming to introduce
successfully next year, there is an extra two years in all pupils ' basic education. The idea of a
K to 12 Curriculum 5

further two years of schooling does not seem appealing to parents who are practically struggling
to send their kids to school. The rationale behind the introduction of the K-12 reform as laid out
by DepEd is worth examining.

Some topics are taught across grade levels in spiral progression from the simplest concepts to
more complex concepts. Students acquire knowledge in such fields as Genetics, Geometry, Earth
Science, Chemistry, and Algebra as early as elementary. After each level this guarantees a
mastery of knowledge and skills. Biology is currently taught in 2nd Year, Chemistry in 3rd Year
and Physics in 4th Year, for example, at High School. In Grades 7 to 10, these subjects are
related in K to 12 and incorporated. The same approach is used in other academic fields such as
mathematics.

From where the initiative stands along with an understanding of its mission and priorities,
there seems to be no other plausible option for the state to take but the road to ultimate
introduction of theK-12 programme. Whatever the system is worthy, a more cautious way to
proceed is to look into its criteria for preparatory, transitory, and actual implementation. This
leads us to the discussion of the challenges posed by the program which therefore demands
urgent and expedient action if its phased implementation is intended to begin next year.

Table 1
Comparative data on pre-university education in Asia

Country Basic Education Cycle

Total
Brunei 1
Cambodia 21
Indonesia 12
Lao PDR 12
Malaysia 21
Myanmar 12
Philippines 1
Singapore 01
Thailand 1
Timor Leste 21
Vietnam 12
2
Source: Adapted from SEAMEO-INNOTECH (DepEd, 2010b)

DepEd's discussion paper (2010b) when it first introduced theK-12 states that the primary
goal of the program is to improve the quality in basic education. It is DepEd officials ' argument
that the current curriculum is too congested as its material is expected to be implemented in 12
years, just like most basic education systems. They are covered, however, in the case of the
country, in 10 years. With the new program, it is DepEd's desire to tweak, polish and streamline
K to 12 Curriculum 6

the curriculum appropriately for its most effective delivery and to lay the content of basic
education within a 12-year period.
In addition, the 12-year basic education curriculum the DepEd seeks to design is one that
hopes to address basic inadequacies of the current curriculum, in particular to equip students
with the indispensable skills that will prepare them to face the world of work after the end of the
12-year period. Furthermore, the new curriculum will also correct the shortcomings of a large
number of high school graduates who are seeking ill-equipped higher education with the basic
tools to meet its rigors. A collaborative effort between the three educational agencies (CHED,
DepEd, and TESDA) and other stakeholders such as the academy and industry is the ideal way to
proceed. It is essential that the curriculum of basic education be a seamless and coordinated
whole, taking into account the various terminal objectives of a graduate work, entrepreneurship,
and higher education. At the locus of the enhanced curriculum is a special leaning towards
liberal education that fosters analytical and critical decision-making, formation of sound
judgment, and an informed citizenship.
The ideal way of proceeding is to have a collaborative effort among the three education
agencies (CHED, DepEd, and TESDA) along with the other stakeholders such as the academe
and industry. It is indispensable that the basic education curriculum be a seamless and
coordinated whole taking into account the different terminal goals of a graduate-work,
entrepreneurship, and higher education. There is a special leaning towards liberal education at
the locus of the enhanced curriculum that encourages analytical and critical decision-making,
sound judgment building, and informed citizenship.

 Monitoring and Evaluation System

Monitoring and Assessment (M&E) in the Department of Education (DepEd) has undergone
significant improvements since 2011. Previously limited to data collection and validation, M&E
now supports decision-making and is a critical source of input for the preparation of school
improvement plans, education development plans for the division and basic regional education
plans. The central office's frequency of program implementation reviews and quarterly reviews
such as monitoring, evaluation, and plan adjustment (MEPA) processes at schools, school
division offices (SDOs), and regional offices have increased. Such reviews currently serve as a
tool to provide real-time response to fix organizational bottlenecks in DepEd.
Requirements are already in place for implementing a systemic M&E function. Foremost is
the M&E framework for kindergarten to grade 12 (K to 12), a learner- centered framework that
supports the government's K to 12 Basic Education Program (K to 12 Programme). The K to 12
M&E framework has evolved into the M&E Framework for Basic Education.1 Necessary
organizational structures such as dedicated M&E units in central and regional offices, SDOs
performing M&E functions and the process to support the continuous improvement of these
various information systems are also in place. For the National Achievement Test (NAT), the
Bureau of Education Assessment serves as the central repository for the test results, including
language assessment for primary grades, and the NAT for grades 6, 10, and 12. Schools are
K to 12 Curriculum 7

provided with more detailed results, including the learners' score and the least mastered
competencies per subject. Results received by regional offices and SDOs are limited to mean
scores per school.
DepEd has a revised organizational structure with the implementation of its Rationalization
Plan. New units have been established and designated as process owners of the M&E function.
At the central office level, overall management of the M&E function resides with the Planning
Service through the Policy and Research Division (PRD) and the Planning and Programming
Division (PPD). The PRD is tasked with results-based M&E as a critical input to policy
enhancements and development, while the PPD handles the progress M&E requirements of
DepEd. The PRD has drafted the policy framework on basic education M&E and is preparing
DepEd's M&E manual. Since 2015, the PPD has been conducting quarterly program
implementation reviews with units from central and regional offices. This interface focuses on
physical accomplishments and funds utilization, and serves as a venue to discuss and resolve
policy and operational issues affecting program delivery and operations.
At the regional office level, the Quality Assurance Division (QAD) is designated as the
process owner for implementing the regional M&E system. The QAD is mandated to establish
outcome-driven evidence-based M&E in the region to facilitate the regional office's
requirements to localize policies and make programs more aligned with the regional context.
At the division level, the School Governance and Operations Division, through the senior
education program specialist for M&E, is tasked with the management and implementation of
a division level M&E system, which will allow division personnel to provide timely and
needs-based technical assistance (TA) to schools and learning centers. At the school level, an
increasing number of schools are implementing the school MEPA technology. This
participatory approach to M&E serves as a platform for discussing learners' performance,
participation, and access to quality basic education services. The MEPA is also used to
quickly resolve issues affecting the teaching and learning process, bottlenecks in school
operations, and to escalate issues that may require policy and resource-related solutions to the
district and division. Results of the school MEPA are being used as inputs to the schools'
annual plans, in-service training, and action research; and for use in the teachers' learning
action cells. In some areas like Region 12, the school MEPA also serves as a mechanism for
collaboration with the community and local government units.
Requirements are already in place for implementing a systemic M&E function. Foremost is
the M&E framework for kindergarten to grade 12 (K to 12), a learner-centered framework that
supports the government's K to 12 Basic Education Program (K to 12 Programme). It details the
scope of M&E for DepEd, which serves as a road map for preparing educational plans and
operationalizing the function of M&E. The K to 12 M&E framework has evolved into the M&E
framework for basic education.1 Necessary organizational structures such as dedicated M&E
units in the central and regional offices, SDOs performing M&E functions are also in place, and
the process for supporting the continuous improvement of these diverse information systems.
Official development aid programs are evaluated by independent government agencies or
third-party organizations, usually with the support of development partners. The Asian Bank
K to 12 Curriculum 8

for Development will support DepEd in carrying out an evaluation after completion of the
program. It will also support assessing standard evaluation arrangements consistent with
broader efforts to strengthen the agency's capacity to measure results and undertake impact
evaluations.

Application: How is this being implemented?

One of the main objectives of the "K-12" program is to contribute to a "holistic Filipino"
(SEAMEO INNOTECH 2012). The mean of "holistic" is obscure, and developing a Filipino like
that requires better quality education. Here it is about pedagogical improvement.
Curricula are in the process of being developed under the "K to 12" programme, but
another fundamental issue of pedagogy is teaching related matters. Teachers play a crucial role
in improving pedagogy in schools, and teachers need adequate teaching facilities, materials and
equipment to fulfil their role. Thus classrooms and other teaching physical resources also matter.
The government has already begun or intended to provide the resources needed, with the goal of
fulfilling the need by the end of 2013. A considerable number of classrooms, desks and
textbooks have already been installed, based on the amount given between 2010 and 2012.
Along with enough resources, the success of the new education program will depend on
teacher skills training and upgrading. According to SEAMEO INNOTECH (2012), since the
curricula are being decongestant, there should be no additional load on teachers. In addition, the
Public School Teachers ' Magna Karta says teachers should not be taught more than six hours a
day. If these conditions are met, the additional time available for the teacher development is
expected. Here the Philippines could cooperate with foreign countries that have successfully
developed teacher-training programmes.
The plan will require funding of 150 billion pesos for 153,569 classrooms, 103,599 more
teachers, 95, 6 million more books, and 13, 2 million seats from the end of the government
(DepEd, 2010a). DepEd has a budget of 192.087.002.00 pesos, based on the General
Appropriations Act of 2011. Considering the annual budget of DepEd, implementing the K-12
program faithfully appears to be a very daunting task.
Requirement for classroom alone is a big challenge. While things stand now, in
classrooms while well as in other buildings there is already a significant shortage. The
implementation of two more years of basic education-a government mandate-will further worsen
the shortage.
Proposals were made to anticipate the problem on the infrastructure needed to support the
K-12 programme. One viable option is to allow private schools to provide the necessary
infrastructure to the government by funding the private education of those students who, due to
their physical limitations, can no longer be accommodated by public schools. Such an option
can be done through the education service contracting, where students enrol in private high
schools but the government provides the funds.
K to 12 Curriculum 9

Conclusion
Bearing in mind the increased mobility among students and professionals across national
borders, the K-12 program is not only timely but also much needed. A basic education that is
comparable to those given in other countries would benefit not only the individual students, but
also the country as a whole.
After their basic education preparation, the K-12 would make high school graduates better
equipped, ready and competent to take on any of the significant life choices. K-12 graduates will
be more prepared with the knowledge and skills to be employed. They will be more confident to
leave the country to pursue studies or work, as the accreditation or recognition problem will have
already been addressed. They will be more willing to pursue higher education given the adequate
training and academic preparedness promised by the basic education.
However well-meaning the K-12 is the continuous cooperation between different
stakeholders without the necessary legislation, the President's unflinching commitment backed
by the hard-working team of implementers, and with the full support of business partners and
parents, it is more likely to face the fate of other programs that ended when the key proponent's
term expired. A long-term solution, such as the K-12, is probably the most difficult, however,
once familiarized, it is sure to bring the best rewards.

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