K-12 reforms as a national imperative: Toward better-educated children

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.'s recent directives to improve the K-12 system bring much-needed focus to long-standing challenges in Philippine basic education.

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The call for “more classrooms, less administrative work for teachers” speaks to an essential recalibration—focusing national effort where it matters most: the learning environment and the educators who power it.

The K-12 reform, implemented over a decade ago, was envisioned to align Philippine education with global standards. Yet the persistent issues of overcrowded classrooms, overburdened teachers, outdated instructional approaches, and underwhelming learning outcomes have prevented the system from fulfilling its full promise.

This is the context in which the significance of President Marcos’ pronouncements, reinforced by Education Secretary Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara’s initiatives, can be appreciated fully. As co-chair of the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2), Secretary Angara brings with him a data informed and reform-oriented perspective—one grounded in the stark realities of Philippine education's global standing.