Preview of Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2012

The new K to 12 curriculum for Grade 1 and Grade 7 (aka 1st year high school) hits the ground running when classes open on Monday. Given the various man-on-the-street interviews appearing in the media these past few days, it seems that the anxiety level of both parents and teachers are at an all-time high this school year. While they believe that the added years in school will ultimately benefit their children, many parents still want to know exactly what K to 12 is. Meanwhile, some teachers have expressed trepidation because they feel they have not had enough time and training to effectively implement the new K to 12 curriculum.

At the moment, the K to 12 program draws strength from a series of promulgations by the Department of Education. Its enabling law would most likely be The Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2012, which is now being contemplated at the House of Representatives. The proposed law is actually a consolidation of four House bills (HB 2182, 3479, 4199, 4219) and House Resolution 12. Its authors/signatories are Feliciano Belmonte Jr., Salvador H. Escudero III, Eulogio R. Magsaysay, Marcelino R. Teodoro, Angelo B. Palmones, Juan Edgardo M. Angara, Maria Isabelle G. Climaco, Fatima Aliah Q. Dimaporo, Mariano U. Piamonte Jr., Julieta R. Cortuna, Joseph Emilio A. Abaya, Thelma Z. Almario, Bernadette R. Herrera-Dy, Mel Senen S. Sarmiento, Christopher S. Co, Rodel M. Batocabe, Alfredo A. Garbin Jr., Irvin M. Alcala, Imelda G. Calixto-Rubiano, Erico B. Aumentado, Maria Evita R. Arago, Susan A. Yap, Rufus B. Rodriguez, Neptali M. Gonzales II, Edcel C. Lagman, Rosenda Ann Ocampo and Pryde Henry A. Teves.

The consolidated bill has two primary—and rather wordy—purposes. See for yourself:

“[It shall be the] policy of the State to see to it that every graduate of basic education shall be an empowered individual who has learned, through a program that is rooted on sound educational principles and geared towards excellence, the foundations for learning throughout life, the competence to engage in work and be productive, the ability to coexist in fruitful harmony with local and global communities, the capability to engage in autonomous critical thinking, and the capacity to transform others and one’s self.

“Moreover, the State shall create an enhanced basic education system that can generate responsible and productive citizens equipped with the essential competencies and skills for both life-long learning and employment. To achieve its purpose, the State shall:  a) give every student an opportunity to receive quality education based on an enhanced and relevant curriculum that is internationally recognized and comparable; and b) change public perception that secondary education is just a preparation for college, rather, it should allow one to take advantage of opportunities for gainful career or employment and/or self-employment in a rapidly changing and increasing globalized environment.”

Furthermore, the proposed Enhanced Basic Education Act provides that “secondary education shall cover in-depth specialization for students depending on the career track they intend to pursue; hence, providing students enough time to consolidate acquired academic skills and competencies. It advances the teaching of subjects traditionally given as introductory courses in college. Graduates shall be accredited in their areas of specializations which include academics, technical-vocational, and sports and arts.

The proposed law further directs the DepEd to “formulate the design and details” of the enhanced basic education curriculum, which presumably grows out of the K to 12 curriculum guides being circulated by the Catholic Educators Association of the Philippines.

To this end, it calls for the formation of what appears to be a curriculum development consultative and coordinating council with the following members: the Commission on Higher Education, Technical Skills Development Authority, Department of Trade and Industry, Department of Labor and Employment, Department of Science and Technology and National Economic and Development Authority.

However, while this piece of legislation could prove revolutionary, it still is a work in progress. Already, education stakeholders and academics have waded in and made their presence and sentiments known in the ensuing deliberations on the House floor. For example, the bill does not have a clear stand on mother-tongue-based multilingual education, which is a fundamental education reform issue. I understand that the thinking in Congress is that MTBMLE should have a separate enabling law, but wouldn’t it make more sense if it is already integral to this bill? Also, the bill tends to focus on enhancing the productivity and employment opportunities of the individual rather than on developing an education system that consistently contributes to and promotes national success. This approach runs counter to the education philosophies of high-performing countries like South Korea, Finland, Cuba and Singapore, which are worth emulating.

Will the Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2012—in its final form—have the gravitas to engender meaningful and lasting change in Philippine education, or will it just trigger the onset of another “season of reform” that Dr. Dina Ocampo, Dr. Cynthia Rose Bautista and Dr. Allan Bernardo so emphatically described in their 2008 UP Centennial Lecture titled “When Reforms Don’t Transform”? Pass the bill and find out.

Butch Hernandez (butchhernandez@gmail.com) is the executive director of the Eggie Apostol Foundation.