K to 12 needs fine-tuning

The K to 12 program was introduced in 2013 with the noble objective of enhancing the employability of Filipino youth by extending basic education and aligning it with industry needs. However, it may have to navigate through a lot of challenges before it realizes its desired potential.

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Take it from Pasig City Rep. Roman Romulo, chairman of the House Committee on Basic Education and Culture.

“K to 12 graduates are not job-ready,” Romulo stressed during his committee’s hearing on the plan of the Department of Education (DepEd) to start implementing the Strengthened Senior High School (SHS) Program in School Year (SY) 2025-2026. He went further by pointing out that some K to 12 graduates are not even college-ready.

This is worrisome for a program which was crafted with a lofty objective of producing job-ready Filipino youth. If graduates of the program are not even college-ready, the more they are not prepared for employment.

With this development, it is incumbent upon our lawmakers and education stakeholders to come together and revisit the K to 12 program to fine-tune it to attain the desired results.

Over a decade since its implementation, concerns persist regarding the readiness of graduates for the workforce.