Senator Sonny Angara on Monday, June 27 expressed belief that any plans to review the K to 12 program can be done vis-à-vis the proposed EDCOM 2 or the Second Congressional Commission on Education.
Advocates in the education sector have been urging President Duterte to sign the EDCOM 2 bill into law to address the ongoing learning crisis and prevent the collapse of the Philippine education system.
“Any K to 12 review can proceed alongside the proposed Edcom2 (Second Congressional Commission on Education) which Congress has passed,” Angara said in a statement.
“Both seek to reform Philippine basic education and it’s important (that) when we reform K to 12, we see it as a component part of the whole education system as well as the economy as a whole,” the senator further said.
Angara lamented that despite the passage of the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act, or the Free College law, many Filipino students still lack the needed skills to obtain a job.
“We have a young population that is in need of skills and learning, and despite the passage of the UAQTEA or the free college law, many still do not make it that far,” the lawmaker noted.
“Which is why, improving K to 12 is crucial for our young people,” he stressed.
President-elect Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has recently ordered the Department of Education (DepEd) to review the K to 12 program to determine the students’ level of competitiveness especially in Science and English.
Marcos Jr. said he is committed to address the country’s lack of research and development in science and technology, engineering and mathematics or STEM.
Vice President-elect Sara Duterte-Carpio vowed to take up the challenge as soon as she assumes office as DepEd secretary.