DepEd ready to implement K to 12 program on June 13, official says
Amid criticisms and questions on the Department of Education's preparedness, an official on Saturday insisted that the agency is ready to implement the K to 12 program.
DepEd Undersecretary Tonisito Umali told dzBB's Glenn Juego and Rod Vega in an interview on Saturday: "'Pag sinabi po nating handa ... sa isang malaking plano katulad po nitong (K-12) program, mayroon po tayong timeline or mga milestones bawat buwan, bawat linggo ng buwan ay dapat meron tayong nakikita na nangyayari."
Particularly, he said DepEd is equipped for the opening on June 13 of Grade 11, the first of two additional levels of senior high school under the new education curriculum.
"We are on the right track ... with respect to hiring our teachers. As we speak, we are training them," he added.
But Umali noted that as of the moment the teachers' training is ongoing and it is expected to be completed exactly on June 13.
As for the backlog of classrooms for the additional levels in basic education, the DepEd official said, "We are trying to construct more or less 23,000 classrooms para po sa darating na pasukan, sa Grade 11 lamang yan."
"Ang malaking bilang po niyan, halos lahat po ay tapos [na]," Umali said.
However, some classrooms that are under construction and are expected to be finished one, two, or three weeks after the opening of the school year 2016-2017.
But, DepEd has already designated temporary classrooms, he added.
"...Natukoy namin po kung saan dadalhin ang mga bata pansamantala habang ginagawa pa itong mga silid aralan na ito at yan ay 'exception rather than the rule' like so in that context handa na po ang DepEd, he said." — John Ted Cordero/LBG, GMA News
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