P-NOY must provide all necessary funds for K-12 in good faith

After more than two years of implementation, the K-12 system is still in trial stage. And if we will use the K-12 program’s grading system as standard, we will rate the program as “B” for its performance since 2012. Based on the grading system for K-12 which is contained in DepEd Order No. 73, s. 2012, “B” stands for “Beginning” which has a numeric equivalent of 74% and below. Other marks are D for Developing; AP for Approaching Proficiency; P for Proficient; and A for Advanced.

That poor rating is based on the problems surfaced during the first 2 years of K-12 implementation including the first month of this school year. On top of the list is the shortage in term of facilities- seats, classrooms, water and sanitation facilities and kindergarten facilities. Another problem is the shortage in terms of learning and teaching materials- textbooks and teachers manuals. The teachers are burdened in downloading materials from the DepEd website which they will reproduce charged against their own pockets. The trainings were insufficient and many of those teachers who were hired during the last two years were not trained for K-12 curriculum because DepEd hires teachers in June and the trainings were done during summer vacation. There will also have a further shortage in terms of teachers, especially in kindergarten and eventually in senior high school which will be opened in 2016. Affected teachers in the tertiary level will become jobless and the DepEd system may not be prepared to absorb all of them.

It may be harsh, but we urge the Senate to review the K-12 law and consider the capacity and political will of the government in further implementing this program. Or we may forget forget about its promises and subsequently suspend its implementation until substantial fund allocation for the program is met. We urge this honorable committee and the Department of Education (DepEd) to initiate a genuine dialogue and wider information dissemination.

Finally, we challenge President Benigno Aquino III to solve the shortages in school system. If he has the political will to enforce disbursement acceleration program (DAP) even without the legal basis to do so, we call on him to provide all the necessary funds to public education system and to do it in good faith.

Reference: Benjo Basas, Chairperson- 02-3853437/ 09205740241

NEWS RELEASE
July 8, 2014

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