By Marilou C. Alabanza
Contributor
THE Department of Education, Division of Ilocos Norte is in full
support of meeting the demands in the offering of Grades 11 and 12 of the K to
12 Basic Education Curriculum-the so called Senior High School (SHS). Nurturing
the holistically developed Filipinos is one of the ultimate goals of SHS, thus,
there is a sense of urgency to cater the needs of students moving to the
curriculum.
Responding to the urgent and
critical need to improve the quality of basic education in the country, the
Department of Education (DepEd) and all other stakeholder are now working hand-in-hand
in the implementation of this major educational reform. The K to 12 Basic
Education Curriculum is a part of the Philippine Education Plan of Action 2015
which is the expansion of basic education-that by 2015, the Philippines has
lengthened its cycle of basic education schooling to 12 years.
In the full implementation of
K to 12 Curriculum, many problems are expected to be encountered by school
administrators and the local government as well. Such problems include the
insufficiency of budget, classrooms, school supplies as well as teachers.
Despite all these, there is really a need to implement. Societal change must
start with the educational system. It is believed that with this educational
reform, the economic status of the Filipinos will be alleviated by providing
better job opportunities and various options for all graduates.
It is then a concerted effort
to pave the way to the successful implementation of the K to 12 Basic Education
Curriculum. It is the dream and aspiration of everybody to have a curriculum
which is responsive to the needs of all Filipinos and making them realize their
own potential and contribute meaningfully in building the Filipino nation.
Significant changes in the education structure
One of the major changes brought about by the K to 12
program is on the education structure. Previously, preschool was not
compulsory. Pupils could enroll in Grade 1 with or without having been honed
through preschool. Under K to 12 and with the Kindergarten Act, pre-school
education for five year old children becomes mandatory before entering
elementary school.
K to 12 requires six years of
elementary education (Grade I to VI) after
one year Kindergarten, four years junior high school (Grade 7-10), and
two years senior high school. The additional two years of SHS make graduates
better prepared for whatever path they will choose aside from being of legal
age (18 years old) to be lawfully employed.
Key changes in the secondary education
Secondary education is undergoing significant changes under the K
to 12 Education Program. These changes are in structure, curriculum, and
assessment.
Structure. With
the K-12 Curriculum, secondary education consists of four years of junior high school
(Grade 7-10) and two years of senior high school (Grade 11 to12).
Curriculum. In the
SEC 2010, Science and Mathematics are taught using the discipline-based
approach. All subjects are taught following the three stages of Understanding
by Design (Buds) identifying desired results, determining acceptable evidence,
and planning instruction.
On the other hand, the K to
12 Curriculum follows the spiral approach wherein learning is a process of
building upon previously learned knowledge.
Through this, students are
able to master the desired competencies by revisiting the subject several times
and relating new knowledge or skills with the previous one.
Moreover, students’ progress
in their learning as it entails going from simple to more complex knowledge or
skills. In the K to 12 Education Program. The special progression approach will
be used in teaching Science, Mathematics, Araling Panlipunan, MAPEH, and
Edukasyon sa Pagpapakatao.
Assessment. The
National Achievement Test (NAT) taken by second year students will be replaced
by an examination at the end of Grade 12. It is envisioned that the examination
at the end of Grade 12 is the exit examination of the secondary level and, at
the same time, the entrance examination for college.
Rationale
There is a sense of urgency to cater to the needs of students
moving to SHS. DepEd Division of Ilocos Norte is moving forward to a rapid
implementation of this program. Academic year 2016-2017 will be the turning
point in the educational system as it will be the nationwide implementation of
Grade 11 of the SHS Program. This program is a two-year specialized upper
secondary education where students can choose a course from any of the four
tracks-academic, sports, arts and design, and technical-vocational.
In the implementation of the
SHS Program there is a need to review the different existing vocational courses
being offered in all the high schools in the division. It is also important to
conduct surveys, interviews, meeting regarding the existing resources on facilities,
teachers, staff, competencies, buildable spaces and potential school sites. The
result of these activities will be used as benchmark for the kind of curricular
offering in the different high schools. All the information gathered will be
used to determine track offerings in each school and the capacity of each
school to offer Senior High School. All of these activities are undertaken by
our division to ensure a full and successful implementation of Senior High
School.
It is expected that for the year
2016, DepEd-Division Ilocos Norte will join the entire nation in the
implementation of the Senior High School Program. This necessitates the
division to prepare a carefully sequenced implementation plan for all
stakeholders to adapt and serves as a guide for all school administrators and
other local government officials for its successful implementation. DepEd
Ilocos Norte looks forward to a strong and solid partnership with all internal
and external stakeholders to make SHS in full-swing at its best.
(Ms. Alabanza is a School Principal II at Catangraran
Elem. School in Solsona, Ilocos Norte)
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