K to woe

Before we tackle the subject, let me comment on the text message of Millie Kilayko on the topic about Museo Recoleto de Bacolod. She said that her father, Dr. Francisco Kilayko and his siblings were professionals working in the University of Negros Occidental. Her father was not privy to the sale of the University to the Recollects and was even surprised about it.

Thanks for the information. In my talk with the Recollect Fathers I got the impression that he knew of the sale. Anyway that should correct the common perception. This is the reason I have urged UNO-R to have a comprehensive history of the university while many people who were part of its development are still around.

Now to the topic at hand, the K to 12 Program of the Department of Education that is generating a rising tidal wave of protests and opposition from politicians to teachers, to parents and to militant groups.

There is no question that prolonging the stay of the student in school for more learning benefits the person, but this does not necessarily mean more schooling means better skills. There are many factors that play into the game.

There is this claim that we are one of the three countries in the world that have only ten years of formal schooling. That might be true insofar as the official policy is concerned but there are thousands of students who also have more than ten, like DepEd Secretary Armin Luistro’s La Salle schools and some other private schools, but has it been scientifically shown that the graduates of these high class schools are better than those who completed only ten years of elementary and high school when they go to college?

Most Filipinos who completed ten years of basic education will rebut any claim that the 12-year students are better than they were in college.

Sure they have a head start but many catch up and even excel. Are most of the bar and board topnotchers products of 12-year basic education that some high tuition schools produce? Or are they products of the usual 10-year basic education program?

We want to have the 12 years of basic education as others but the question is – do we have the resources to follow suit?

The complaints and protests attest to this sad fact – we do not have the resources for K to 12, not even enough for the 10-year basic education.

We are in effect jumping into a sea of woes.

I wonder whether the people in DepEd had really made an honest assessment of our capability to adopt this system simply because others have them.

There is great merit in the demand that we provide for the basics first – teachers, classrooms, books, facilities, supply and equipment of which many of our schools, especially in the towns and barrios are in dire need.

Take the case of teachers. We need over 120,000 teachers but we cannot hire them for lack of funds. If we include in this need for the salaries of the euphemistically called “volunteer teachers” the budget for teachers alone would balloon to several billions more.

The so-called “volunteer teachers” are not volunteers at all but poorly paid contractual teachers in the lower grades. They get an allowance of reportedly P3,000 a month for 10 months. The government has to resort to this exploitative labor policy just to get some children in school and claim universal education.

The problem with our top education officials is that while they have an army of personnel down to the purok and sitio level they are unaware of the real situation, or if they are aware, chose to ignore it.

It is a sad sight to see children of school age roam the streets, some begging or peddling or children in the rural areas unable to go to school, not because public education is free of tuition but because there are other needs than tuition.

Although all school expenses are to be borne by the government students are required to pay for PTA that claims this is also used for basic needs in school from leaking roofs and flooded floors, to “seminars” and other school expenses, including putting up classrooms. Students even contribute for water and electricity.

At the start of the year students are required to bring floor wax, brooms, wastes baskets and dust pans. They have cost also,

The adoption of K to 12 is just adding more woes to parents. Do education officials know that free public education is expensive for parents who could hardly meet the day’s food requirements?

Secretary Luistro is asking that we give K to 12 a chance. That is nice for him but who shoulders this “chance”? How many billions of pesos and time will be wasted for his pet project?

Let’s not bite more than we can swallow.*

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