Hundreds of high school and college students, teachers and parents staged a protest action yesterday outside the Department of Education (DepEd) Regional Office XI to express their disapproval over the extension of the 10-year basic education cycle to two more years, a proposal presented by DepEd Sec. Armin Luistro to Pres. Benigno Aquino III in Manila.“Owing to the fact that the country lacks 49, 699 teachers, 57, 930 classrooms, 3.48M armchairs and 34.7M textbooks, the education crisis,” according to No to K+12! Alliance, “will not simply be solved by adding two more years in the students’ schooling.”
“Unless the poverty incidence in the country is given due attention, unless the teachers are given just compensation, parents employed with sufficient salary and benefits, and school facilities be improved, such reform will only serve as a “band aid” solution that temporarily covers, but will not essentially heal the wounds of the educational system,” said Paul Randy Gumanao, spokesperson of the alliance.
Gumanao said that the alarming increase in the drop-out rate is an indication that the students cannot sustain a longer stay in school due to many factors such as poverty. For every 100 students who enroll in grade 1, only 25 students can proceed to college and this, according to Gumanao, “should be looked into by the government rather than adding more years.”“What has to be immediately addressed is the budget allocation for education that will improve the quality of instructions and the quality of the facilities. The government failed to see the real situation of education in this poverty-stricken country. Extra years in school would mean extra expenses and this is very burdensome especially to poor families whose primary concern is survival,” Gumanao added.
The alliance urged the Aquino administration to be faithful to its promise of allocating 6% of the GDP which will automatically go to education budget.“Extending the basic education to 12 years would mean more school drop outs, more jobless graduates and more OFWs,” said Gumanao.
Gumanao called on the youth, the parents and the teachers to be part in campaigning against the K+12 and to help push for a genuine educational reform. He also urged the local legislators to make necessary actions to heed the clamor of their constituents to scrap the proposed moves.
Similar protests were held in different major cities in the country including Cotabato City and Zamboanga City.
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A reporter asked me if isn't it too violent that the high school students almost knocked down the agency's gate. I answered her that this is the best way to express the anger of the youth. And the destruction of the gate (if ever nasira o masisira man)is nothing compared to the millions of lives that will be ruined if this nonsensical program will be implemented.
DepEd Sec Luistro yesterday asserted that the additional school years under the K12 program will address the problem of deteriorating quality education in the country. Ito lang ang masasabi namin, ISTORYAHEEEEE!
