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cenSEI
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8KVUXZ
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
NATION
Getting in sync
with the rest of the world
The Philippines aims to roll out its K-to-12
program while dealing with unresolved problems
in the education sector
&]4ME6YRS
STRATEGY POINTS
When the Philippines shifts from a 10- to a 12-
year basic education cycle this coming school
year, it will be the last country in Asia to do so,
leaving two other countries in Africa as the last
hold-outs
Some Filipino workers are not recognized as
professionals because our basic education
cycle lacks two years
Current gaps in basic education shortages
of classrooms, teachers, and educational
materials still need to be addressed, along
with the demands of the transition to K-to-12
the school year that starts this June,
Grade 1 pupils will be taught using
moLIer- Longue Iunguuges, und hrsL-
year high school students will be given
technical and vocational courses,
und wIII be LIe hrsL buLcI Lo hnIsI
IIgI scIooI In sIx yeurs, under LIe
Kindergarten-to-12th grade (K-to-12)
education program launched by the
government in April.
The K-to-12 model will overhaul the
current 10-year basic education cycle
sIx yeurs oI eIemenLury und Iour yeurs oI
high school by adding two years of
senior high school, to align our school
system with the global 12-year standard,
In
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11
:NKcenSEI8KVUXZ - May 14-20, 2012
among other pressing reasons, as discussed
in the Policy Brief published by the
SenuLe EconomIc PIunnIng OIhce In
June 2011.
According to the policy brief, the move
Is expecLed Lo IeIp LIe counLry cuLcI
up with the rest of the world in terms
of updating curriculum since, prior
to the announcement, the Philippines
was the only country in Asia and one
of only three countries together with
Djibouti and Angola of Africa
that still had a 10-year basic education
cycle. Other countries even have 1
3 or 14 years of basic and pre-university
education, it added. (See table above)
For a recent precedent, in 2008, Mongolia
expunded ILs educuLIon cycIe Lo 1z yeurs In
order to conform to the common practice
of general secondary education in the
world, according to Secondary Education
Regional Information Base: Country
ProhIe by the United Nations Educational,
ScIenLIhc und CuILuruI OrgunIzuLIon
(UNESCO) pubIIsIed In zooq.
Due to the transition, curriculum
reIorm, renewuI oI LexLbooks, Increuse In
instructional materials, introduction of
Internet services and computers and ICT-
based training, and re-training of teachers
needed to be undertaken, according
to the report.
LENGTH OF BASIC, PRE-UNIVERSITY EDUCATION IN
SOUTHEAST ASIAN COUNTRIES
Source: Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization Regional Center for Educational Innovation
and Technology, as cited in K to 12: The Key to Quality Education?, Policy Brief of Senate Economic
Planning Offce, June 2011, p. 3.
Country Years of
Elementary
Education
Years of Secondary Education Total Basic
and Pre-
University
Educartion
Lower Upper Post-
Secondary/
Pre-
University
Education
Brunei 6 2 3 2/3 13/14
Cambodia 6 3 3 - 12
Indonesia 6 3 3 - 12
Laos 5 4 3 - 12
Malaysia 6 3 2 2/3 13/14
Myanmar 5 4 2 - 11
Philippines 6 4 - - 10
Singapore 6 4 - 2/3 12/13
Thailand 6 3 3 - 12
Timor-Leste 6 3 3 - 12
Vietnam 5 4 3 - 12
Getting in sync with the rest of the world
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