K-12 CURRICULUM

IN THE
PHILIPPINES

Education is the key to the long-term

problems of the country. If we fix
basic education, we fix the long-term
problems of the country. And if we fix
the countrys problems, we will build
a truly strong society. . .
-Pres. Benigno Simeon C. Aquino III

TheK to 12 Program
TheK
to
12
Programcovers
kindergarten and 12 years of basic
education (six years of primary
education, four years of junior high
school, and two years of senior high
school [SHS]) to provide sufficient
time for mastery of concepts and
skills, develop lifelong learners, and
prepare
graduates
for
tertiary
education,
middle-level
skills
development,
employment,
and

2
years

4
years

6
years

1
year

Senior High School

Junior High School
Elementary
Kindergarten

K-6-4-2 System

Key Features of K to 12
Enhancement of the basic education
curriculum is the central focus of K to
12.
The enhanced curriculum will offer
areas of specialization or electives
such as science and technology, arts,
sports, journalism, tech-voc, foreign
language, entreperneurship, and
subjects for advanced placement.

New Features of the K-12 Basic Education Curriculum

Vertical continuum and horizontal

articulation of competencies
Mother Tongue as a learning area and
medium of instruction
Spiral progression in Science and
Math
MAPEH (Music, Arts, Physical
Education, and Health) begins in
Grade 1

Learning Areas for Grades 1 to 1o

Grades 1 to 6

Grades 7 -10

Learning Areas

Grade Levels

Mother Tongue
English
Filipino
Mathematics
Araling Panlipunan
Edukasyon sa
Pagpapakatao
Science
MAPEH
EPP
TLE

1-3
1(2nd sem)-6
1-6
1-6
1-6
1-6
3-6
1-6
4-5
6

Core Curriculum and

Career Paths

Grades 7-12

Premises
Filipino learners, in order to be globally
competitive, need to develop 21st century
core skills( digital age literacy, inventive
thinking, effective communication, and high
productivity) and be functionally literate.
Aside from the development of 21st century
core skills, the extended high school program
should be packaged for the preparation of
students for career and higher education. This
is because secondary education is designed
primarily to provide the transition from school
to work and from school to further learning.

Premises
The curriculum shall be designed
to provide a blended career and
college preparatory program.
Putting the two on the same
level and blending them will
enhance the seamless
relationship between career and
higher education and give them
equal social and economic
value.

Grades

Academic
Specialization:
Engineering/
Journalism/Foreign
Language

Tech-Voc
Specialization
Sports/Arts
Specialization

MODEL 2
Junior/Senior HS
Curriculum

Senior High School benefits different students in

different ways.

Students who
Students who
Students who
finish high
complete 2 years complete college
Reduction in
school then work
of college or
college years
Better income
post-secondary
offsets additional
Reduction in
opportunities;
years of
higher income
cost of schooling
schooling
streams
with additional 2
Higher
Cost due to
years of free
productivity
delayed
education
(about 9%
employment
income premium)
offset by higher
Higher college
income streams
completion rates

Completion of K to 12 education shall be compulsory

for those who will go to college/university.

A full 12 years of basic education will

be required for entry into tertiary
level education by SY 2018-2019.

Vision
Graduates of K to 12 Basic Education
Program are envisaged to be better
prepared for life as they are expected
to
possess sufficient mastery of 21st
century core skills;
be emotionally developed and
competent to live a meaningful life;
be socially aware, pro-active and

IMPLEMENTATION OF THE K-12

PROGRAM
- The implementation of the K-12 program is "phased". The
first phase of the implementation started onSY2012-2013.
During this school year, universalkindergartenwill be
finally offered, and will now be a part of the compulsory
education system; and a new curriculum for Grade 1 and
Grade 7 students would be introduced. By SY 2016-2017,
Grade 11/Year 5 will be introduced, and Grade 12/Year 6 by
SY 2017-2018; with the phased implementation of the new
curriculum finished by the SY 2017-2018. Students in 2nd
year to 4th year high school this SY 2012-2013 are not
included in the program. It is only applicable to students
from Kinder to 1st year high school which is now called
Grade 7.

Salient Features of K12

1.Universal Kindergarten Education

Kindergarten has now been integrated
into the basic education system to ensure
that all grade 1 students are ready for
academic learning.Universal kindergarten
started in SY 20112012 with a budget of
P2.3 billion and was made mandatory
starting SY 20122013 through the signing
ofRepublic Act No. 10157entitled An Act
Institutionalizing
the
Kindergarten
Education into the Basic Education System
and Appropriating Funds Therefor on
January 20, 2012.

2.
Mother
Tongue-Based
Multilingual
Education.
The mother tongue will be the medium
of instruction from kindergarten to grade
3. This includes the following: Tagalog,
Kapampangan,
Pangasinense,
Iloko,
Bikol,
Cebuano,
Hiligaynon,
Waray,
Tausug, Maguindanaoan, Maranao, and
Chabacano. Medium of instruction will be
English and Filipino starting grade4.

3. Core Academic Areas.

The core academic areas include Math;
Filipino; English; Araling Panlipunan;
Edukasyon sa Pagpapakatao; and Music,
Arts, Physical Education, and Health
(MAPEH). These are based on the College
Readiness Standardsof the Commission
on Higher Education and are equivalent
to the courses offered under the General
Education Curriculum of Higher Education
Institutions.

Science will be taught in grade 3, but its

concepts will be integrated in other subjects
like Health (under MAPEH), Math, and
Languages in grades 1 and 2. Edukasyong
Pangtahanan at Pangkabuhayan will be
taught starting in grade 4. Technology and
Livelihood
Education
and
technical
vocational specializations, consistent with
the
Technical
Education
and
Skills
Development Authority training regulations,
will start in grade 7.

4. Specializations.
The additional two years (grades 11 and
12) or SHS will allow students to choose
among academic, technicalvocational, or
sports and arts tracks depending on their
interest, the community needs, and the results
of their skills assessment. The SHS will allow
mastery of core competencies for lifelong
learning and preparedness for work, higher
education, middle-level skills development, or
entrepreneurship.

B.Implementation and Transition Management

Program implementation will be in phases starting this
June for SY 20122013. Grade 1 entrants in SY 20122013
will be the first batch to fully undergo the program, and
incoming first-year high school students (or grade 7) in SY
20122013 will be the first to undergo the junior high school
curriculum. To prepare teachers for the new curriculum, a
nationwide summer training program for about 140,000
grades 1 and 7 public school teachers will be held in May.
The Department of Education (DepEd) is also working with
various private school associations to cover teachers in
private schools. To facilitate the transition from the existing
ten-year basic education to 12 years, the DepEd will also
implement theSHS Readiness Assessmentand K to 12
Modeling.

D.Ensuring Sustainability of the Program

Enhancing the basic education curriculum and increasing
the number of years for basic educationwas adopted as a
Common Legislative Agenda during the February 28, 2011
LegislativeExecutive
Development
Advisory
Council
(LEDAC) meeting. The administration-supported bills that
aim to increase the number of years for basic education are
Senate Bill 2713 (Recto), House Bill (HB) 4219 (Belmonte),
and HB 4199 (Escudero). These bills are pending at the
Committee Level.

Benefits of K to 12 to Individuals and Families

An enhanced curriculum will

decongest academic workload, giving
students more time to master
competencies and time for extracurricular activities, thus, allowing for
their more holistic development.
Graduates will possess competencies
and skills relevant to the job market.
Graduates will be better prepared for
higher education.

Benefits of K to 12 to Individuals and Families

Graduates will be able to earn

higher wages and/or better
prepared to start their own
business. Studies in the
Philippines have shown that an
additional year of schooling
increases earnings by 7.5%.
Filipino graduates could be

Benefits of K to 12 to Society and the Economy

K to 12 will contribute to
economic growth. Several
studies have shown that the
improvements in the quality of
education will increase GDP
growth by as much as 2%.
A better educated society
provides a sound foundation for

Who will cover the cost of the additional two years in

high school?

Free for those in public schools

Subsidized by the Government for
those in the ESC program

Education is the most powerful

weapon which you can use to
change the world.
Nelson Mandela