THE K to 12 PROGRAM

By: Johna B. Adube

WHAT IS K TO 12 PROGRAM?

The K to 12 Program
covers Kindergarten and 12 years of basic
education  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
entrepreneurship.
K to 12 Program
SALIENT FEATURES OF THE K TO 12
PROGRAM
 Strengthening Early Childhood
Education (Universal Kindergarten)
Every Filipino child now has access to early
childhood education through Universal
Kindergarten. At 5 years old, children start
schooling and are given the means to slowly adjust
to formal education.
Education for children in the early years lays the
foundation for lifelong learning and for the total
development of a child. The early years of a human
being, from 0 to 6 years, are the most critical
period when the brain grows to at least 60-70
percent of adult size.
Making the Curriculum Relevant to Learners
(Contextualization and Enhancement)

Examples, activities, songs, poems, stories, and

illustrations are based on local culture, history, and
reality. This makes the lessons relevant to the
learners and easy to understand.
Students acquire in-depth
knowledge, skills, values, and
attitudes through continuity and
consistency across all levels and
subjects.
 Building Proficiency through Language
(Mother Tongue-Based Multilingual
Education)
Students are able to learn best
through their first language, their
Mother Tongue (MT). Twelve (12)
MT languages have been introduced
for SY 2012-2013: Bahasa Sug, Bikol,
Cebuano, Chabacano, Hiligaynon,
Iloko, Kapampangan,
Maguindanaoan, Meranao,
Pangasinense, Tagalog, and Waray.
Other local languages will be added in
succeeding school years.
Ensuring Integrated and Seamless
Learning (Spiral Progression)

Subjects are taught from the

simplest concepts to more
complicated concepts through grade
levels in spiral progression. As early
as elementary, students gain
knowledge in areas such as Biology,
Geometry, Earth Science, Chemistry,
and Algebra. This ensures a mastery
of knowledge and skills after each
level.
Gearing Up for the Future (Senior High
School)
Senior High School is two years of specialized
upper secondary education; students may choose a
specialization based on aptitude, interests, and school
capacity. The choice of career track will define the
content of the subjects a student will take in Grades
11 and 12.
SHS subjects fall
under either the Core
Curriculum or specific
Tracks.
CORE CURRICULUM
There are seven Learning
Areas under the Core
Curriculum. These are
Languages, Literature,
Communication, Mathematics,
Philosophy, Natural Sciences,
and Social Sciences. Current
content from some General
Education subjects are embedded
in the SHS curriculum.
TRACKS
Each student in Senior High School can choose
among three tracks: Academic; Technical-
Vocational-Livelihood; and Sports and Arts.
 Nurturing the Holistically Developed Filipino
(College and Livelihood Readiness, let Century
Skills)
After going through Kindergarten, the enhanced
Elementary and Junior High curriculum, and a
specialized Senior High program, every K to 12 graduate
will be ready to go into different paths – may it be
further education, employment, or entrepreneurship.
Every graduate will be equipped with:
1.    Information, media and technology skills,
2.    Learning and innovation skills,
3.    Effective communication skills, and
4.    Life and career skills.
IMPLEMENTATION
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What is the K to 12 Program?

The K to 12 Program covers 13 years of
basic education with the following key
stages:
1.Kindergarten to Grade 3
2. Grades 4 to 6
3. Grades 7 to 10
(Junior High School)
4. Grades 11 and 12
(Senior High School)
Why are we now implementing 13
years of basic education?

The Philippines is the last country in Asia

and one of only three countries worldwide with
a 10-year pre-university cycle (Angola and
Djibouti are the other two).

A 13-year program is found to be the best

period for learning under basic education. It is
also the recognized standard for students and
professionals globally.
How will the current curriculum be
affected by K to 12? What subjects will be
added and removed?
The current curriculum has been enhanced for
K to 12 and now gives more focus to allow
mastery of learning.
For the new Senior High School grades
(Grades 11 and 12), core subjects such as
Mathematics, Science and Language will be
strengthened. Specializations or tracks in
students’ areas of interest will also be offered.
Changes to specific subjects are detailed in the
K to 12 Curriculum Guides
How will schools implementing special curricular
programs such as science high schools, high
schools for the arts, and technical vocational
schools be affected by K to 12?

Schools with special curricular

programs will implement enriched
curriculums specific to their
program (e.g. science, arts)
following the K to 12 standards.
How will multi-grade teaching be
affected by K to 12?
Multi-grade teaching will continue
and will use the K to 12 Curriculum.

How will specific learning groups such as

indigenous people, Muslim learners, and
people with special needs be affected by
K to 12?
The K to 12 Curriculum was designed to
address diverse learner needs, and may be
adapted to fit specific learner groups.
Under K to 12, will Kindergarten be a pre-
requisite for entering Grade 1?
Yes. Republic Act No. 10157, or the Kindergarten
Education Act, institutionalizes Kindergarten as part of the
basic education system and is a pre-requisite for admission
to Grade 1.

With K to 12, will there be an overlap between the Day

Care program of Local Government Units (LGUs) and
DepEd Kindergarten?
No. Day Care Centers of LGUs take care of children
aged 4 or below, while the DepEd Kindergarten program is
intended for children who are at least 5 years old by
October 31st of the present school year.
Which Mother Tongue will be used as the
language of instruction in multi-cultural areas?
The principle of MTB-MLE is to use the language that
learners are most comfortable and familiar with; therefore,
the common language in the area or lingua franca shall be
used as the language of instruction

How will students choose their Senior High

School specializations?
Students will undergo assessments to determine their
strengths and interests. These will include an aptitude test, a
career assessment exam, and an occupational interest inventory
for high schools. Career advocacy activities will also be
conducted to help guide students in choosing their
specialization or track.
Is SHS really necessary? Must I go to SHS?
Yes, according to the law. Beginning SY 2016-2017,
you must go through Grades 11 and 12 to graduate from
High School.

If I choose not to go to SHS, what happens to me?

You will be a grade 10 completer, but not a high
school graduate. Elementary graduates are those who
finish grade 6; high school graduates must have
finished grade 12.
How will K to 12 affect the college curriculum?
The College General Education curriculum will
have fewer units. Subjects that have been taken up in
Basic Education will be removed from the College
General Education curriculum.
 “Naninindigan pa rin po tayo sa ipinangako nating
pagbabago sa edukasyon: ang gawin itong sentral na estratehiya
sa pamumuhunan sa pinakamahalaga nating yaman: ang
mamamayang Pilipino. Sa K to 12, tiwala tayong mabibigyang-
lakas si Juan dela Cruz upang mapaunlad—hindi lamang ang
kanyang sarili at pamilya—kundi maging ang buong bansa.”
– Pangulong Benigno S. Aquino III