A total of 10,614 schools nationwide are ready to offer Senior High School (SHS) Program come June, Education Secretary Armin Luistro said.
Of the number, 5, 942 are Department of Education (DepEd) schools while 4, 672 are private high schools and private and public higher education institutions.
Luistro also expressed confidence that there is no stopping DepEd now on the implementation of the K-to-12 after the Supreme Court (SC) dismissed on March 15 several petitions seeking an injunction to stop implementation of the program, which is considered as well as centerpiece of the Aquino administration’s major to reforms the country’s.
“I can now heave a sigh of relief [following the SC decision]” Luistro said in an interview.
“We thank the Supreme Court [SC] for denying the temporary restraining order (TRO) on the suspension of the K to 12 Program as announced in today’s SC news conference,” he also said in a statement.
“This announcement allows DepEd and its stakeholders to focus on the urgent remaining tasks for the opening of Grade 11 in June.
At the same time, Luistro appealed to the SC petitioners and those who may still have concerns on the program to work with the Department of Education (DepEd) even more closely to address “any remaining challenge.” Among the petitioners who asked the high court to scuttle the K to 12 were the Council for Teachers and Staff of Colleges and Universities of the Philippine, et al., Senator Antonio Trillanes IV et al., UP professor Eduardo Alicias, et al., Richard Troy Colmenare, et al., Congressman Antonio Tinio et al. and Ma. Dolores Brillantes, et al.
They argued that the DepEd usurped the power of Congress to create laws when it issued in 2012 the guidelines contained in DepEd Order 31, laying down the policy for implementation of K-to-12 even before lawmakers had passed the K-to-12 law.
Support of industry partners
With the K-to-12 Program in full swing, Luistro asked the support of the various industry partners. He made the call during the Annual Membership Meeting of the Education Nation, a coalition of organizations that have a stake on Philippine education, on March 15.
“Despite many challenges, I can say that we have started at the right footing. The most important for me is kindergarten because that sets the pace where our school children should be,” Luistro said.
Luistro said he is delighted with the support given by the industry partners. Proof on this, he said, is the recent pact inked for the Senior High School (SHS) Program, which include information on industry job qualifications, work immersion of students, use of facilities, training of teachers, donation for infrastructure, equipment and other needs.
“In the past our partnership were merely focused on the support from non-governmental organizations and the business sector to augment limited resources from national and local governments such as building classrooms, providing seats, computers, as well as other kinds of funding. This particular partnership actually brings up our engagement with the industry to an entirely different level. This time we are focusing on curriculum development and scholarships for teachers,” Luistro said.
The industry partners have committed to support DepEd for the nationwide implementation of SHS under the K to 12 Program. The partnership aims to offer relevant SHS subjects and activities that would help every graduate to be ready for higher education and training, or for the world of work through employment or entrepreneurship. This will also help address the job-skills mismatch in the country.
“It is my firm hope that, as we institutionalize the reforms with industry sector, we are actually giving our people an anchor to be able to say elections and leaders come and go, but the real reforms that we need to do are firmly institutionalized quietly in programs we are doing and which we will be doing,” the education chief added.
The industry partners agreed to encourage and influence their members to implement programs on job profiling and skills mapping; tie up with DepEd field offices or specific schools by providing support and opportunities for work immersion for students, teachers training, and use of facilities; help schools in addressing resource gaps through donations; and accept for employment applicants who have completed SHS from any private or public school in the Philippines subject to other required qualifications.
DepEd shall advise regional and division offices, as well as the schools offering SHS, regarding this MOU, and encourage them to cooperate with the organizations; and provide assistance in the form of giving advice, data or information necessary to enable them to effectively implement programs. It will also provide tax incentives for donations under its Adopt-a-School Program.
Among the industry partners are the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry represented by its President, Jeorge Barcelon; Chamber of Commerce of the Philippine Islands, Inc. President, Consul-General A.H. Jose Luis Yulo, Jr.; American Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines Inc. Executive Director Ebb Hinchcliffe; European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines Inc. President Guenter Taus; Korean Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines Inc. President Ho Ik Lee, German-Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry Inc. President Bodo Goerlich; Employers Conferdation of the Philippines President Edgardo Lacson; Semiconductor and Electronics Industries in the Philippines Inc. Chairman Arthur Tan; IT and Business Processing Association of the Philippines President Jomari Mercado; Management Association of the Philippines President Perry Pe; People Management Association of the Philippines President Jesse Rebustillo; Philippine Business for Education President Chito Salazar; and Makati Business Club Chairman Ramon del Rosario, Jr.
Nation gears up for K-to-12
Some 1,000 DepEd regional and division offices nationwide participated in the two-day event held at Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay City in December to report the progress of various strategies employed for the promotion and implementation of the K to 12 Program, specifically the SHS segment, in their respective areas.
“If yesterday I was celebrating with you what we have done, today I stand with great pride telling myself, ‘Ang sarap maging Pilipino. Pero mas masarap maging kawani ng DepEd.’ Never in my life can I say that with conviction,” Luistro said in his message.
During the conference, the participants provided updates on the region and the division’s efforts in gearing up for the nationwide implementation of SHS. Among the strategies highlighted in Luistro’s synthesis were the K-to-12 caravans and unique approaches, such as Teaching Strategy Festivals and Heroic Mobile Advocacy.
Luistro lauded the efforts of all DepEd field offices in ensuring that no child shall be left behind. He said that, because of the commitment of its education leaders nationwide, over “1.1 million Filipinos have included in their dreams a way of upgrading themselves” and preregistered for the SHS in 2016.
“I told myself our DepEd leaders have now taken it unto themselves to take care of every learner. Wala na po ang malaking divide between public and private, nasa bayan o nasa bundok. You took care of all of them. You went out of your way; you went out of your Queendoms and your Kingdoms, and your Hives, so that you can promote and let people understand what K-to-12 is all about,” he said.
The conference also provided an opportunity for education leaders to share good practices in building and strengthening partnerships with different organizations and institutions for the implementation of the SHS Program.
“The solution to many of our nation’s problems is in the DepEd. You are the key players in changing the direction of where our country will go. You have proven that to yourselves; you have proven that to the country. You have shown that leadership is possible and that your leadership is credible,” he said.
“I prayed for a change of heart in the DepEd and I realized, when I went through what you shared the past two days, that you have actually changed the image, the heart and the culture within the department. In fact, you have brought together, from limited resources, many initiatives that in the past, I did not imagine the DepEd was ready and willing to do,” Luistro said.
The DepEd has already released the guidelines in forging partnerships with education stakeholders from different sectors for the nationwide implementation of the SHS Program for school year 2016.
Luistro said the guidelines were designed to help DepEd personnel follow a well-planned procedure in building partnerships with the private sector, non-governmental organizations, and other government agencies that will aid the full implementation of the K to 12 Program.
“Our partnership-building activities shall include research and needs analysis, identification of potential partners, meeting with potential partners, designing and finalizing formal agreements—either through a memorandum of agreement or memorandum of understanding—and managing, monitoring and evaluating the partnerships,” he added.
DepEd, through its assigned focal persons from its field offices and schools, will form linkages with different stakeholders and organizations for work immersion opportunities for SHS students. The work immersion will expose the SHS students to actual workplace setting, which will enrich their learning and competencies.
Other areas of partnership include the use of company facilities and equipment, additional training opportunities for teachers and additional resources in the form of donations. Donations may be in the form of parcel of land, infrastructure, such as building, classroom, machinery, tools, equipment, training, consultancy, logistics and other technologics.
Among the target partners in the K to 12 Program are local government units, national government agencies, such as Department of Labor and Emplyment, Department of Trade and Industry, Technical Education Skills and Development Authority , Department of Public Works and Highways private companies and business establishments, non-governmental and/or faith-based organizations, cooperative and micro-finance institutions, other schools and training institutions that will not offer a basic education program.