Kate Guinocor, 12, was all smiles as she was officially named class valedictorian of the Cabancalan I Elementary School and received medals for: most obedient and creative, historian of the year, researcher of the year and camper of the year, among other awards.
But aside from her achievements, Guinocor’s parents have another reason to be grateful. Her batch is the last one to dodge the K-to-12 program that will add more years in elementary and high school and which will be implemented next year.
Guinocor, however, said that she would have preferred to go through the additional years.
“Aside from gaining knowledge, students would be more mature when they reach high school,” she said.
But her schoolmate, Kishia Marie Orio, felt otherwise. Also an honor student, Orio said the K-to-12 program only adds to the burden of the teachers and students. For this, she is thankful not to go through the additional years.
Her father is a tricycle driver earning about P100 a day while her mother is a housewife, so they could not afford the extra years.
Ma. Stella Arcenal, the Guinocor and Orio’s class adviser, said the teachers are not yet ready for the program despite announcements to the contrary from education officials.
“DepEd is not yet ready. The teachers are not yet ready, there is a lack of facilities and some of the teachers are not trained,” she said, adding that the implementation “will not be very effective.”
Arcenal said in order for DepEd to be successful in the implementation of the program, there should be a thorough preparation.
If the government wants to pursue the program, she said more years of preparation are necessary such as addressing the need for more classrooms and more teachers.
But Dr. Arden Monisit, schools division superintendent said DepEd is “101 percent ready.”
“Some education stakeholders nagduda pero kami sa Department of Education are assured by our honorable secretary for according to Secretary Armin Luistro, we are 101 percent ready so kami pod malaumon, we are very much ready for our preparation for the full implementation of this,” he said.
Despite the lack of classrooms after typhoon Yolanda destroyed buildings in the Visayas, he is still sure that the new curriculum will be effective.
Monisit said that Governor Hilario Davide III and local mayors promised to give additional classrooms, so there is no cause for worry.
He also said that they will be hiring more teachers, which will be augmented by those who will be hired by local school boards.
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