Bayan Muna Rep. Neri Colmenares yesterday said his group is opposing the implementation of the K+12 program of the Department of Education, where two more years will be added to the existing 10 years in elementary and high school.

Colmenares, who was in Bacolod City yesterday, said that they are not against the concept of the K+12 program but its implementation is not timely and has no basis.

“Most parents can hardly send their children to school nowadays and the implementation of the K+12 program will add to their burden”, he said.

Instead of pushing for the K+12 program, he said, the government and DEP Ed should focus on how to resolve the inadequacy of classrooms, teachers and school supplies among the public schools.

Colmenares claimed that the K+12 will only favor private schools because they will earn more with the additional 2 years in basic education but not the pupils in the public schools.

K+12 will be implemented in some areas in Luzon as classes open this June. Dep Ed earlier announced that the program is aimed at addressing deficiencies in elementary education as well as enhances the competitiveness of the high school curricula.

Dep Ed Secretary Armin Luistro had said the K+12 program is also designed to help students adjust to the fast-changing demands of society by providing graduates with essential skills for local or global employment or for college education.

Education officials have noted deficiencies in competencies in core subjects of English, Math and Science among Filipino high school graduates.

Reports said only Myanmar and the Philippines are the only countries in the world with a 10-year Basic Education Curriculum.*APN

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