Trillanes: Suspend K to 12 Now

Senator Antonio “Sonny” F. Trillanes IV, in a privilege speech at the Senate on Tuesday, renewed his call to his colleagues to review and suspend the implementation of the K to 12 Program, citing the current fundamental problems, as well as the projected problems that will be encountered come its full implementation in 2016.

“Let me make clear that I believe there is nothing wrong with the lofty goals and ambitious targets, especially where our youth is concerned. Our programs, however, must be grounded on the fiscal and factual realities on the ground if these were to succeed and truly benefit our youth,” said Trillanes.

Trillanes laid down the reasons why the K to 12 program is doomed to fail. He cited that the continued classroom congestion, lack of classroom order, and lack of classrooms, teachers, books and facilities are the primary reasons why quality of education is continuously declining.

Trillanes fears that the K to 12 program will only increase the current dropout rate in the country. “How can we now be globally competitive, as the Department of Education claims, if our country can no longer send professionals abroad because no one can afford to finish college anymore? Worse, we would have a generation of high school dropouts, who would never be competitive in their lifetimes and might end up as criminals in order to survive.”

Trillanes also blasted DepEd’s rationale that the country needs the program because we are among the last two countries in the world which remain under the 10-year basic education system.

“Following their logic, if the K to 20 becomes the new global trend, do we follow them in changing the system again? It doesn’t make sense from a policy perspective. ”

Further, Trillanes took the cudgels for the teachers who are threatened to be retrenched due to the decline in the enrollment in colleges for two years.

“This program, not only fails to address the most fundamental problems of our educational system. It also threatens to further marginalize the already impoverished sectors of our society – the parents, the teachers, and our youth,” Trillanes further noted. “It is sad to accept the fact that the program which promises to provide better employment opportunities to our youth will be the same program which will cause the loss of livelihood to many of our educators in the country. The government should be reminded that more than number or statistics, these teachers have families to feed. Is this how we repay our teachers who mold our youth?”

Trillanes called on his colleagues to convene the Joint Congressional Oversight Committee on the Enhanced Basic Educational Program (K to 12 Program) to review and suspend the program. He also assured them that he and the Coalition for K to 12 Suspension, a group of teachers, parents and labor unions, will exhaust all remedies to suspend the program.

“We are talking about the future of this country. Let us not gamble it for a program which we are not ready to face. Suspend K to 12 Program now!” Trillanes emphasized.

The Coalition for K to 12 Suspension will hold a massive protest against the program on May 9, 2015 at Luneta Park in Manila.

senate.gov.ph