DepEd, groups tie up for K to 12

A CAMPAIGN to encourage the private sector to support the K to 12 program of the Department of Education (DepEd) was launched in Cebu City yesterday.

DepEd 7 Director Dr. Carmelita Dulangon said the Greater Opportunities (GO) Education campaign enjoys the support of stakeholders.

“We want to enable students to have quality education, so one day they can earn a living,” she said.

GO Education has three components: the teacher, the curriculum and resources.

As part of the program, teachers are provided with tools and training.

The teacher’s starting salary has been raised to P18,000 per month under a standardization law, with allowances from local government units.

The K to 12 program provides lessons for every grade level while providing teachers with training modules.

DepEd aims to address the problems that result in an increasing student population, DepEd V Director Diosado San Antonio.

He said the budget for hiring more teachers has been approved on second reading in Congress. Sonny Carpio, Aboitiz Foundation executive vice president, noted that elementary students carry large bags filled with books and notebooks.

High school students carry smaller bags while college students carry just a notebook in their back pockets.

“Maybe there are more subjects in elementary than in college? Well, I don’t know what subjects they have in college,” he said.

The GO Education program is supported by various organizations, including the 10 Moves Movement that aims to encourage two million people to pledge 10 pesos per day for 10 months to build 10,000 classrooms, the Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP) and Bato Balani Foundation.