DepEd: No plans to scrap K to 12 program

The Department of Education (DepEd) on Monday said it has no plans of scrapping the K to 12 Program, amid "online misinformation."

"The claims circulating online came after news of the Commission on Higher Education’s (CHEd) plan to 'review and change' the system for its K to 12 Transition Program was misconstrued to mean the implementation of the entire K to 12 Program. These two are not one and the same," DepEd said in a statement.

DepEd pointed out that it cannot arbitrarily discontinue the program because it was mandated by the Republic Act No. 10533 or "Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013."

"As with any law, the implementation, amendment, expansion, or repeal of the K to 12 Program is within the ambit of the legislative branch of the government comprised of the Senate of the Philippines and the House of Representatives," it added.

Further, it said that over 2.7 million students already benefited from the program after they received "free or highly-subsidized" senior high school education in public and private schools nationwide.

DepEd said that repealing the program would be "detrimental" to the country's education system.—LDF, GMA News