Xavier University ready for 12-year curriculum

WITH the implementation of the Kindergarten to 12 (K to 12) basic education program this school year, Xavier University (XU) said it might not feel the program’s effect as it already has plans for its supposed outcome.

Fr. Roberto Yap, XU president, said they will not be affected as to the decrease of enrolment until 2016.

“We have already plans and we are prepared,” Yap told Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro.

He said, however, that they will be starting to admit students for Grade 8 and Kinder 1 this school year.

“We will start gradually the enrolment every year until we will fully implement the enrolment for Grade 11,” Yap added.

According to him, the program’s effect like possible decrease of enrolment for college freshmen will surely be felt in 2016.

Over 600 administrators, school heads and faculty of member-schools of the Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines (CEAP) are already discussing how to temper the effect of the paradigm shift in their enrollment statistics.

In a report, the CEAP is holding a conference that will address critical issues of the K to 12 transition such as labor and legal implications, and the senior high school (SHS) curriculum.

At least 50 percent decline is expected in the enrolment of private Catholic colleges in 2016.

CEAP president and Adamson University president Fr. Gregorio Bañaga, C.M. said private school administrators are strategizing together on how to address the financial challenges that their school will face given the expected decrease of enrollees starting 2016.

Under the government-enforced K to 12 system, students can already forego going to college after undergoing two more years in senior high school as technical and vocational skills will already be taught to students to help them land a job or engage in entrepreneurial endeavors after graduating high school.

Since pursuing a college degree will remain an option for selected students who still want specialized education and training, freshmen enrolment is expected to generally decrease -- with the drop more felt by private schools than state universities because of the difference in tuition costs.

However, 1,345 CEAP member-schools nationwide are still supporting the shift from the previous 10-year basic education program to the new 12-year curriculum.