Donna Corpin Saudi Gazette JEDDAH — Filipino parents here have welcomed the new law that seeks to overhaul and expand the Philippine education system. However, some also expressed reservations whether its benefits will outweigh the potential burdens it poses. President Benigno Aquino III signed the Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013, more commonly known as the K-12 program, into law Wednesday. Under the new system, Filipino students will have to undergo kindergarten and 12 years of basic education, whereas the old system only had 10. They would now have to complete six years of primary education, four years of junior high school, and two years of senior high school before going on to college. The law is expected to improve the quality of learning for Filipino students in the country as well as those who go to Philippine-curriculum schools abroad. Consul General Uriel Norman Garibay said the measure will also affect Philippine schools here. “The law has been signed, but we have to wait for implementing guidelines. It should apply to Philippine schools in the Kingdom.” Asked if Philippine schools in the Kingdom were indeed ready to enforce the new law in the next school year which starts in June, Ofelia Laguardia, principal of Bader International School in Jeddah, said the new system has already been introduced in the school, but partially. The Philippine Department of Education (DepEd) pursued a phased implementation of the program in 2012. However, full implementation is not expected until 2016, Laguardia said. She said the bigger challenge is finding enough qualified teachers to handle the additional terms. Laguardia added that for preparatory vocational courses, the instructors would have to come from the country's Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA). For senior high school, students will be able to choose specialized tracks in academics, technical education, sports and the arts, according to Aquino's speech as he signed the law. Jonathan Padua, an IT specialist for many years in Jeddah, said the new act will ensure that students are primed enough for college. “If indeed the additional two years will adequately prepare students for future careers that they are interested in, then that's good,” he said. “It would mean our secondary diplomas would be readily accepted should we ever move to another country.” Nikki Arcilla Hopkins, an International Philippine School in Jeddah alumna who is now based in the US where she also went to college, said she did not see the need for the expansion.
“For years Filipinos have been able to transition well even with only 10 years of high school. I had all the required sciences and maths at 10th grade and did well enough in college with kids who had 12,” she said. Another parent in Jeddah, Maria Teresa Visande-Odronia, said she was not in favor of the new system because it only reforms basic education. “If the ultimate objective is global competitiveness, then the higher education curriculum must likewise be improved to be at par with universities in other countries.” As part of the reforms as per the new law, native languages will be used as the medium of instruction from kindergarten until the third year of primary school. It will then shift to English starting Grade 4-6 in primary school and throughout high school.
