Philippine E-Journals

K-12 Education and Philippine Development

Edwin C. Du

Discipline: Education, Education Administration

 

Abstract:

Cognizant of education’s role in development and in attaining democratic ideals, the United Nations’ medium-term development goals have set two out of eight priority areas in education: universal primary completion and gender parity in primary and secondary schooling. Education empowers people and strengthens nations. Its capacity to enhance one’s economic and social status, particularly in the Philippines, cannot be questioned. Recently, this capacity will be put to test following the legislation of the K-12 education program. The Department of Education (DepEd), when it pushed for the adoption of the K-12 program, sees improved academic competencies and labor opportunities for the Filipino graduates.1 This article discusses K-12 program in the context of prevailing discussions on Philippine development. Given the four features of K-12, namely, academic competence, labor opportunity, global competitiveness, and economic development, this article discusses the merits of the program and the problems and barriers to its full implementation. This discussion is juxtaposed by analyses made on Philippine development. A support model for effective implementation of the K-12 program is presented.