Classes resume, K to 12 officially rolled out

Millions of enrollees, including the country's first batch of Grade 11 students under the government's K to 12 program, are scheduled to start classes on Monday, in line with the Department of Education's (DepEd's) mandate.

Mga estudyante sa Pres. Corazon Aquino ES, nagsimula nang dumating sa unang araw ng pasukan | via @allangatus pic.twitter.com/JUxSCJgpMD

— GMA News Breaking (@gmanewsbreaking) June 12, 2016

The DepEd had set the school year (SY) 2016-2017 to begin on June 13, 2016 with 202 school days until April 7, 2017. Private schools, however, may deviate from the calendar set by the department.

Also, there are also some 11,000 senior high schools scheduled to open on Monday to accommodate the first batch of Grade 11 enrollees under the K to 12 program which was started in 2011.

First day, first class: Grade 11 students at San Rafael Technological HS in the Baking Laboratory #BalikEskwela2016 pic.twitter.com/0tmYTMEtT4

— DepEd (@DepEd_PH) June 12, 2016

"Very prepared for a first timer opening 11,000 senior high schools in every municipality and city. I think this is the boldest move the department has ever undertaken," outgoing Education Secretary Armin Luistro said last week.

Sec. Luistro arrives at San Rafael Technological High School in Navotas for #BalikEskwela2016 #GoKto12 pic.twitter.com/lg0B33FLEI

— DepEd (@DepEd_PH) June 12, 2016

Under the K to 12 program, the Philippine education system will be integrated to 12 years of basic education from the 10-year pre-university cycle which is now only used in two other countries in the world.

According to data from the education department, public institutions offering senior high school were registered at 5,990 while private schools were recorded at 5,028.

The DepEd had earlier allowed some 56 public high schools nationwide to start modeling the program from 2012, 2013, or 2014, where students may choose from four different tracks.

Data available from the first national K to 12 conference last year shows that most or 58.88 percent of the students chose the academic track, followed by the technical-vocational-livelihood track with 40.37 percent, arts and design with 0.46 percent, and sports with 0.28 percent.

Meanwhile, Luistro said that there were bound to be "challenges" on Monday, but the department was fully prepared for these.

"None of [these challenges] will be insurmountable especially since our schools, our divisions have prepared for this in the past two to three years," he explained. — DVM, GMA News