K-12 is a huge change in the education system. Being implemented in stages, it promises to be actually effective. The program hopes to help boost social, intellectual and emotional growth in the young.
In about a month, classes will open. For children 5 years old and up who haven’t gone to kindergarten school in the private sector, K-12 is an education program for early learners and is in the hands of DepEd helping build the child's development in early years. The young ones have to finish K-12 to get into formal education and be hired later after high school or college for dreams to realize.
It will be a difficult program to undertake but it’s a way to improve on the education system of the country, making use of the gift of early age in children when they can actively act and react to their environment.
The Kindergarten Education Act implemented in 2012 makes kindergarten education of 5-year-olds and up mandatory and compulsory in preparation for formal education in Grade I.
Republic Act 10157 makes kindergarten mandatory to all 5-year-olds. Then they go from Grades 1 to 12 before formal education. This is in the belief that, as shown in some other countries, young minds develop strongly at this early age.
Andrei Tyler Navales is now in Grade 7 at the opening of classes under the K-12 education program (Grades 7 to 10 is called junior high), then on to senior high (Grades 11 to 12). In this new education system, preparation for basic education is longer by 2 years, 12 from just 10 grades in the old system.
In the kindergarted program are ways for the young ones to build up their physical, social, emotional and intellectual form. They get this chance to relate more meaningfully with others through teachers who are especially trained in the K-12 program.
In K-12 curriculum, the use of the mother tongue (Cebuano in Cebu communities) in class, for one, and the teaching methods, are ways to connect with the children, like in storytelling, games and small group discussions. This calls the children’s attention as their capacity to absorb experiences is, according to researches, at its “sharpest” in these early years in life.
In Grade 11 to 12, the student can decide to go academic, technical, livelihood, sports and the arts. At this point, a child could even be decisive about what he wants.
How does life look like at K-12?
After formal education and before college, students can make a choice to go on with school to college or work. The choice would be education or employment or entrepreneurship.
I could swear that his face danced when 13-year-old Andrei talked about his classmates who want to grow up to become teachers, seamen, nurses, policemen.
The young boy is on his way to junior high school level (Grades 7 to 10) education, learning from basic knowledge of academic and technical matters. Andrei can't seem to wait for the time when he, too, will get a job like his overseas worker father.
Andrei’s mother Fatima believes in the effectiveness of the new education system. When his son will be in Grades 11 to 12 he can choose to work using his Certificate of Competence, or continue on to college.
Hail to K-12!
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