Incoming DepEd chief favors continued implementation of K to 12 program

Suspending the K to 12 program, which adds two years to basic education, will only pose more problems than in pushing through with its implementation this school year, the incoming head of the Department of Education (DepEd) said Monday.

At a press conference in Quezon City, incoming DepEd secretary Leonor Briones said that while the program is far from perfect, she still favors its continued implementation.

"From what I see, definitely there are problems. As for suspending it, there might be more problems right now, but there might be changes on what will happen on June 13 where the problems will come out in the next two weeks," she said.

"The question we have to raise is which is more harmful, to stop it at this time, to continue it at this time, or to continue it when we have determined the deficiencies," she added.

In the meantime, Briones said they will closely monitor the new curriculum for Grade 5 students and the launch of Grade 11 in the senior high school program and forward them to outgoing DepEd secretary Armin Luistro.

"What can be done by the incoming administration at this time is to monitor closely the implementation of Grade 11 starting June 13. We have been receiving feedback on K-12 which we will pass on to the present leadership," Briones said.

A transition team is also being organized to ensure the orderly and seamless transfer of duties to the new administration.

Resistance understandable

Briones said she understands the opposition on the K-12 Program by families who consider it as additional burden but recognized the preparations done by the current administration since the law was passed in 2013.

"There is a build-up of understandable resistance to K-12. This has been implemented since 2013 since the law was passed. We only noticed it now because we will be launching the Grade 11," she said.

Speculations that the government is unprepared for its implementation is also put under scrutiny, Briones said, since adjustments were already started four years ago.

Briones added schools have been preparing for the challenges of K-12 such as additional funding and displacement of teachers for years.

"Many schools have been preparing for these challenges for four years. We are aware that contingency measures are being adopted by both the [Commission on Higher Education] and DepEd. These have to be closely monitored to ensure that identified challenges are met," Briones said. —KBK, GMA News