Marcos: K to 12 program didn't improve employability of graduates

President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. said Friday that the K to 12 program was unable to achieve its goal of raising the employability of graduates in the Philippines.

Marcos said he discussed the program with incoming Education secretary Sonny Angara, noting that they were looking into having short courses to improve graduates' employability.

"There are two elements we paid attention to specifically... No. 1, ginawa natin 'yung K to 12 dahil hinahanap ang years of training sa ating mga nag-apply at sinasabi dito sa Pilipinas kulang dahil 10 years… That was the reason we did it para employable 'yung mga graduate natin," Marcos said in an ambush interview in Sulu.

(The K to 12 program was implemented because employers tend to look at the years of job applicants' training. In the Philippines, it's only 10 years... That was the reason we did it so our graduates would be employable.)

"Pero kung titignan natin ang naging resulta, hindi tumaas, hindi gumanda ang employability nila. So we have to do something else. Kaya we were examining things like mini-courses, three to six na buwan, one-year short courses para sa mga specialty," he added.

(But if we look at the results, it did not improve their employability. So we have to do something else; therefore, we were examining things like mini-courses lasting three to six months, or one-year short courses for specialty.)

Angara was one of the authors of Republic Act 10533 or the Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013, which institutionalized the government's K to 12 program.

The law restructured the basic education in the country by requiring Filipino students to undergo one year in kindergarten, six years in primary school, four years in junior high school, and two years in senior high school.

Angara will be taking over the DepEd following the resignation of its outgoing chief, Vice President Sara Duterte, effective July 19.

GMA News Online has requested comment from the DepEd regarding the President's statements, but it has yet to provide a response as of posting time.

Currently, the Education Department is in the process of reviewing the curriculum for Grades 11 and 12 in a bid to produce more job-ready and responsible graduates.

Angara has said that the K to 12 program has already been institutionalized under the law and therefore should be followed.

He admitted that there were a few hitches in the implementation of the senior high school program, and should be reviewed thoroughly.

In May last year, the DepEd organized a national task force that would review the implementation of the senior high school (SHS) program. Among the task force's responsibilities was to review existing program policies "to ensure consistency, responsiveness, and relevance" to the needs of the learners and stakeholders; and strengthen engagement with private sectors and various industries at the national and regional levels to improve SHS employability. — VDV, GMA Integrated News