宿 务 亚 典 耀 圣 心 学 校

SACRED HEART SCHOOL – ATENEO de CEBU

H. Abellana St., Canduman, Mandaue City

Class No. 38 Score:

Name: Dasha Angelica Tiu Date: 02/12/23
Section: 11- Caritas Teacher: Mr. Julius Cesar Cudera

Introduction

As is commonly believed, education is the key to achieving success. It is very important because
it is a way of molding the knowledge and intelligence of a student. Moreover, it is challenging to
fulfill our dreams without education, because in a sense, it is the most powerful thing in the
world. It is essential for advancing our society's development in terms of eradicating poverty,
enhancing health, achieving equality, and promoting peace and stability. (The World Bank,
2016) The Department of Education's (DEP-ED) new curriculum pledges to provide students
with higher-quality education built on a curriculum that meets international standards and is
pedagogically competent and globally competitive. (J. Punongbayan, 2019) With the additional
two (2) years for Senior High School, it seeks to offer students enough time to learn skills and
build fundamental competencies so they may compete on a global basis, and with the new
approach, students who plan to pursue higher education after high school will be given the skills
necessary to be prepared for employment, entrepreneurship, middle-level skill development, and
higher education. (Enderun Colleges, Inc., 2020) But so far as I know the educational system in
the Philippines is one that many people consider inadequate and primitive. For the same reason,
the Philippines ranks poorly when it comes to its educational system. DEP-Ed’s implementation
of an additional curriculum, Filipino students' quality, and education continues to be substandard.

In line with the K-12 system’s adoption, the goal of this research is to identify the components of
our educational system that continue to hinder students’ academic advancement. Furthermore, to
comprehend these problems and how they affect the education of Filipino children.

Methods

In light of this, it is essential that we conduct a cross-checking study by contrasting JC

Punongbayan’s opinion, and with that of scholars and inquirers, and validate if it is precise
enough with the use of quantitative evidence. We can also make use of the DEP-ED issues when
it comes to mass production results from schools all over the Philippines. Additionally, the
foundation of this study will be international articles from the twenty-first (21) Century,
Philippine articles that were published years after it was implemented and the year this paper was
written, and resources that were used to examine the development of the K-12 system in the
Philippines over time in order to furthermore comprehend how it changed.

With this method chosen, the process of gathering information has started with the selection of
relevant literature and the reading of several relevant articles that will be utilized as both primary
and secondary sources for the analysis and data of this work. The reading of related literature and
studies is then conducted in order to fully comprehend the topic and gather significant
information.

The following issues have been encountered throughout the K-12 education system's
implementation in the Philippines: Insufficient funds; The K-12 program must be implemented
with a significant budget, which includes money for extra instructors, classrooms, and
educational supplies. The program cannot be successfully implemented in many Philippine
schools because of a shortage of funding. Lack of teacher training; The K-12 program's
implementation depends greatly on the abilities and expertise of the instructors. However, a lot
of instructors in the Philippines lack the necessary training to impart the new subjects and
abilities demanded by the K-12 curriculum. Curriculum overload; The K-12 program covers a
wide range of topics and abilities, which may result in an overloaded curriculum and an
increased effort for both students and teachers. “No Child Left Behind” Policy; Established by
DepEd when the K-12 system was put into place. Diploma Mill or Mass Production; An
institution that grants academic degrees and diplomas without verifying that students have
finished the necessary coursework or achieved the acceptable academic requirements.

The "Results" portion of the article would next be used to collect, review, and disseminate this
data. This helps to clear up any misunderstandings about the data drawn from pertinent literature
and studies. And to further elaborate on the results if our system continues to operate in this
manner indefinitely.

Results

The K–12 curriculum may have improved the nation, but it has also had drawbacks given the
realities and challenges of the Philippine educational system. The government's adoption of the
K–12 curriculum has completely changed the Philippines' educational landscape. The goals
being set were what should be aspired for, yet the nation was only moving further away from its
objectives and the benchmark. And it was further discussed that the K to 12 program was
implemented with a very brief transition period in keeping with our heritage of fumbling through
things. To prepare instructors, provide textbooks, and construct facilities for the extra years of
the curriculum, there wasn't enough training available. Concerns from parents about the
increased load on their shoulders were also heard. (The Manila Times, 2023)

Inadequate funding for the K-12 program in the Philippines may significantly impede the
program's successful implementation and it already led to negative outcomes. With insufficient
funds, students have limited access to quality education. Schools without the requisite financing
may not be able to offer the extra years of instruction mandated under the K–12 program, as a
result, students could miss out on the greatest educational opportunities, resulting in a worse
quality of education. Schools might not be able to create extra classrooms, hire more instructors,
or buy educational equipment, resulting in overcrowding and resource shortages because of the
lack of budget. The K-12 curriculum also aims to prepare children for further education or the
workforce, but without sufficient money, schools might not be able to give students the support
and tools they need to excel in these fields. After graduation, this can result in few work options
for pupils. It could also add strain to already struggling families, because without sufficient
government funding for the K-12 program, families may be required to shoulder more of the
financial burden. And while schools in low-income areas may struggle, schools in more affluent
areas may be better able to administer the K-12 program. This has the potential to worsen
existing inequities in the education system. In the case of the Philippines K-12, the program was
launched without taking into consideration the financial constraints our educational system is
facing, and as a result, the Department of Education is still dealing with massive issues today.
(Inquirer.Net, 2015)

The K-12 program's successful execution primarily depends on the abilities and expertise of
teachers. To properly teach the additional subjects and abilities mandated by the K-12
curriculum, many Filipino teachers, however, lack the necessary training. It may be difficult for
teachers to properly engage children and teach the new subjects and abilities demanded by the K-
12 program, leading to a lower quality of instruction and poorer learning outcomes. And without
adequate preparation, teachers may not be equally prepared to teach the K-12 curriculum, which
could result in a disparity in educational quality between schools and regions, and students may
also have difficulty learning and doing successfully if their teachers are not thoroughly ready to
teach the new subjects and skills needed. This might also result in High teacher labor turnover
from teachers who lack the necessary skills to successfully teach the K-12 curriculum.
And teachers who feel unprepared or unsupported in delivering the K-12 curriculum may have
low job satisfaction and morale, which can influence their overall performance and effectiveness
as educators. Education Secretary Leonor Briones claimed in an interview with CNN Philippines
that the government did not allocate enough of its gross domestic product (GDP) to education,
which may be why the Philippines performed worse than other nations in the poll. As it has been
claimed to have been predicted that the Philippines’ low ranking in the 2018 Programme for the
International Student Assessment (PISA), has been pointed to a “correlation” with the country's
present level of educational quality, Briones remarked that in two years, the accessibility of
schools for students from far-flung locations needs to be enhanced. By there in order to fully
upskill the nation's instructors and fulfill the ideal standard for learning for children, she also
called for strengthening the status of DepEd's training division, the National Educators
Academy, into a "true academy." (G. Jalea, 2019)

With the curriculum overload in this program can also have a serious adverse effect on both
students and teachers. Students who feel overburdened by their curriculum may become
distracted and less motivated to learn, which will negatively affect their performance, and might
make both students and teachers feel more stressed since they can find it difficult to keep up with
the pace. An overburdened curriculum may also reduce the amount of time available for
recreational and sporting activities, which may be detrimental to students' general well-being.
Teachers may also find it difficult to adequately cover all the essential material, and a curriculum
that is overloaded might also result in a decline in educational quality. And unfair access to
education may emerge from it having a bigger effect on students who do not have access to extra
resources or academic support outside of the classroom. Pam Robertson remarked, “The
curriculum is overcrowded, putting a lot of pressure on teachers and learners to master it.” Dr.
Marie Therese A.P. Bustos of the ACTRC also explained the context of the present curriculum
review, she talked about the "below expectations" student performance on national assessments
and the reasons "overcrowding of curriculum" is a problem. Additionally, she went over the
suggestions for the anticipated curriculum, which include fewer learning competencies,
making sure they are essential for developing competency in fundamental information and
abilities, and changing the sequencing. Other suggestions include addressing "cognitive
demand expectations" and making the "circulation of learning competencies explicit." She
also emphasized the significance of implementing a "consistent explicit, framework for
21st-century skills for usage across DepEd" Which is why to promote increased
understanding and public discourse on educational challenges, teachers from both public
and private schools around the country were "strongly urged to participate." (M. Hernando-
Malipot, 2021)

The “No Child Left Behind” policy was a US federal education law, not one that the Department
of Education (DepEd) in the Philippines had to implement. The K–12 program in the Philippines
may, however, have developed in accordance with the policy's guiding principles. The No Child
Left Behind initiative, in general, sought to raise student achievement and hold schools
responsible for the results of their students. Accountability and progress monitoring are crucial
components of education policy that can provide beneficial results. However, the No Child Left
Behind strategy has been criticized for restricting the curriculum and emphasizing standardized
testing too much while neglecting subjects like the arts, social sciences, and physical education.
There were also concerns that schools were being penalized for low student accomplishment
without having the resources or support to help them out. In order to fully understand the effects
of the K-12 program on the Philippine educational system, it is also important to consider its
impact on student outcomes, the job market, and the wider society. It will be important for
DepEd to continually assess and evaluate the program to ensure that it is meeting its goals and
having a positive impact on students and society.

Lastly, with the Diploma Mill or Mass Production issue. Diploma mills or the mass production
of degrees can have very negative effects on people, organizations, and society as a whole. If
degrees are awarded without adhering to appropriate academic standards, the value of education
is reduced, and the job market may start to doubt the validity of diplomas and the abilities of
graduates. Moreover, if educational institutions do not uphold strict academic standards,
education quality will deteriorate over time, producing a generation of graduates lacking the
knowledge and abilities required to succeed in their fields. Students may spend years obtaining a
degree that ultimately has little or no value as a result of diploma mills and the mass manufacture
of degrees which can be a waste of time, money, and energy. And this could be unethical and
against the law when awarding degrees and diplomas without complying with the required
academic standards, putting the institutions and their stakeholders at risk of legal and
reputational issues. The tuition-free college law needs to be sustained; therefore, policymakers
must start planning early, otherwise, top-tier state universities will become diploma mills. The
real world would be just as uninteresting for graduates when they marched into it. (J. Bondoc,
2018)

Discussion
We cannot say that education itself just did us dirty. However, this does not mean also that K-12
is a total flop, it is our industry that needs to work on a lot of improvements and develop more
studies towards this main concern. And these issues regarding insufficient resources, lack of
teacher training, curriculum overload, and the existence of diploma mills or mass production,
will continue to persist until our authorities take serious action against this.

References

Enderun Colleges, Inc (2020) Overview of K to 12,

https://www.enderuncolleges.com/k-12

The Manila Times (2023) Revisiting the K to 12 Program,

https://www.manilatimes.net/2023/01/17/opinion/editorial/revisiting-the-k-to-12-program/
1874598

Inquirer.Net (2015) For lack of Funds, PH not ready to implement K-to-12,

https://opinion.inquirer.net/86669/for-lack-of-funds-ph-not-ready-to-implement-k-to-12

Glee Jalea, CNN Philippines (2019) DepEd: Low gov’t spending, lack in teacher training behind
low PH ranking in PISA,
https://www.cnnphilippines.com/news/2019/12/5/deped-pisa.html

Merlina Hernando-Malipot, Manila Bulletin (2021) DepEd urged to address ‘overcrowded’

curriculum to address challenge of quality,
https://mb.com.ph/2021/08/26/deped-urged-to-address-overcrowded-curriculum-to-address-
challenge-of-quality/

Jarius Bondoc, Philstar Global (2018) State colleges mustn't become diploma mills,
https://www.philstar.com/opinion/2018/06/13/1824112/state-colleges-musnt-become-diploma-
mills