THE first batch of the K to 12 Basic Education Program has graduated this March.
In Negros Occidental, 12,500 senior high school students completed the enhanced curriculum.
But are they work ready?
Department of Education (DepEd) Negros Occidental acting Schools Division Superintendent Gladys Amelaine Sales believed so.
She said the pioneer batch is capable of working due to their technical-vocational training with Technical Education Skills Development Authority (Tesda).
Sales said the students were prepared to be globally competitive – they were also equipped with necessary skills to be at par with the world standard on basic education.
The DepEd official stressed that the K to 12 program was successfully implemented in the province.
However, various stakeholders claimed otherwise. They said the K to 12 graduates are not ready for employment.
Reacting to the reports, Vice Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson challenged DepEd to come up with a study on how successful the K to 12 program is.
Lacson said it’s necessary to verify these reports to determine if K to 12 is the right thing to do and worth going through.
The K to 12 program covers senior high school, where students will pursue a track that will prepare them for employment or college education.
But woes in education continue.
The implementation of the new curriculum saw the lack of resources, school buildings, and laboratories, which also affected senior high school classes.
With this, is the curriculum really successful or a total failure?