THE ENHANCED BASIC EDUCATION ACT OF 2013 (k to 12 law)

(Republic Act 10533) The latest educational reform in Philippine Education signed into
law by Pres. Benigno Aquino III last May 15, 2013. It is an act enhancing the Philippine Basic
Education system by strengthening its curriculum and increasing the number of years for basic
education appropriating funds therefore and for other purposes. The Enhanced Basic Education
Act of 2013 popularly known as K12 includes one (1) year of Kindergarten education, six (6) years
of Elementary education, and six (6) years of Secondary education. This 6-year secondary
education includes four (4) years of Junior high school and the two (2) years of Senior high school.
With K12 the existing 10 years of basic education is increased to 12 years with Kindergarten
education as a prerequisite to enter in Grade 1.

Why K to 12?
K12 makes the Philippine education system at par with the international standard of 12-
year basic education thereby contributing to a better educated society capable of pursuing
productive employment, entrepreneurship, or higher education studies. After going through
Kindergarten, Elementary, Junior high and specialized Senior high school program, every K to 12
graduates is ready to go into different path-higher education, middle level skills development,
employment or entrepreneurship. The K to 12 graduates are also expected to be equipped with 21st
century skills like information, media and technology skills, learning innovation skills, effective
communication skills, and life and career skills. When K to 12 was launched in 2012, many
Filipinos were apprehensive because of the addition of two (2) more years in secondary schooling.
Some said, the addition two years are added burden for the average Filipino family. Other said,
the K to 12 programs is doomed to fail since it does not address the basic problems in education
like lack of classroom, chair, books, teachers, quality teaching and many more. Amidst criticisms,
the Department of Education pushed for the K to 12 implementation. What could be the reasons?
Let's consider these existing realities in Philippine education that became the bases of the K to 12
implementation:

1. Mastery of basic competencies is insufficient due to congested

curriculum.
The table below presents the NAT result of 4rt year students in Mathematics and Science result.
In 2005-2006 Mathematics result, only 15% of the students acquired mastery of Mathematics
competencies while majority (59.09%) of the high school students belonged to the lower mastery
level. The achievement results in Science was even more discouraging since only 3% of the 4rt
year high school students in 2005-2006 mastered the Science processes and skills. Majority
belonged to the low mastery category and a few were in the near mastery level.
 Comparative Achievement levels in Comparative Achievement levels in
Mathematics Science
Achievement Achievement
level SY SY level SY 2004- SY
2004- % 2005- & 2005 % 2005- &
2005 2006 2006
Mastery 168,371 16.41% 149,992 15.21% Mastery 17,921 1.75% 29,479 2.99%
Near 321,305 31.31% 253,396 25.71% Near 246,207 23.99% 196,938 19.89%
Mastery Mastery
Low 536,439 52.28% 582,436 59.09% Low 761,987 74.26% 759,337 77.03%
Mastery Mastery
Total 1,026,115 100.00% 985,754 100.01% Total 1,026,115 100% 985,754 100%

One of the factors that contribute to the low performance in achievement test is the
congested basic education curriculum. What other countries teach in 12 years the Philippines teach
only in 10 years. The 10 yers would not enough to master the competencies. Adding two years
would make possible the decongestion of the curriculum for comprehensive acquisition of basic
competencies and the 21st century skills.

2. THE PHILIPPINES IS THE ONLY REMAINING COUNTRY IN ASIA WITH A 10-YEAR

BASIC EDUCATION PROGRAM.
The Philippines is the only country in Asia that has 10-year basic education program. The short
duration of the basic education program also put millions of overseas Filipino workers, especially
the professionals, and those who intend to study in abroad at a disadvantage. Graduates of
Philippine schools are not automatically recognized as professionals outside the country due to the
lack of two years in basic education.
With K to 12 Filipino professionals would have the same competitive edge with
professionals in other countries having gone through 12 years of basic education.
As one of the most well studied reforms, recommendations of either adding or restoring 7th
grade or adding extra year to basic education have been put forward. (See Table)

Table: Researcher on Philippine Basic Education Curriculum and their Recommendation.

Year Source Recommendation
1925 Monroe Survey Training graduates student in agriculture, commerce,
and industry because secondary did not prepare students
for life.
1949 UNESCO Mission Survey Restoration of Grade 7 in primary education.
1953 Education Act Revising the Primary school system by adding one year
(Grade 7)
 1960 Swanson Servey Restoring of Grade 7 in primary education.
1970 PCSPE Extending secondary education by one year to better
prepare students who have no plan to take up university
education.
1991 EDCOM Report Retaining the 10-years basic education phase while
institutionalizing career counseling in Primary and
Secondary school in preparation for higher education
1998 Philippine Education Sector Prioritizing students learning through curricular
Study (World Bank and reforms, the provision of textbook, the use of vernacular
ADB) in lower Primary grades, and the institution of longer
basic education cycle.
2000 PCER Implementing a compulsory one-year pre-baccalaureate
stage as prerequisite for student interested in enrolling
in higher education degree program.

EMPLOYABILITY OF FILIPINO HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATES

The K TO 12 Curriculum prepares the students for the world of work, middle level skills
development, entrepreneurship and college education. As early as Grade 7 and 8, the student is
made to explore at least 8 subjects in the four (4) areas of Technology and Livelihood Education
(TLE) namely, Home Economics, ICT, Industrial Arts and Agriculture and Fishery Arts. In Grade
10 and 12, the student is supposed to have obtained a National Certificate (NC) Level I and Level
II from TESDA. NC I and NC II makes a Grade 12 graduate employable.
The short duration of basic education in the Philippines resulted to 15year old graduates
who are not legally employable. With the implementation of the K to 12, the graduates of Senior
high is 18years old who is legally employable.

THE K TO 12 CURRICULUM
Section 5 of the Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013, stipulates the ff. curricular
standards which the curriculum developers adhered to in crafting the K to 12 curriculum:
a. The curriculum shall be learner-centered, inclusive and developmentally appropriate.
b. The curriculum shall be relevant, responsive ad research-based.
c. The curriculum shall be culture-sensitive.
d. The curriculum shall be contextualized and global.
e. The curriculum shall use pedagogical approaches that are constructivist, inquiry-based and
collaborative and integrative.
f. The curriculum shall adhere to the principle and framework of Mother Tongue-Based
Multilingual Education.
g. The curriculum shall use the spiral progression approach to ensure mastery of knowledge
and skills after each level.
THE SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL CURRICULUM TRACKS
The student after undergoing Senior High School can choose among four (4) tracks:
Academic; Technical-Vocational-Livelihood; and Sports track and Arts and Design track. The
academic track includes four (4) strand:
 Business, Accountancy, Management (BAM)
 Humanities and Social Sciences (HUMSS)
 Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics (STEM)
 and General Academic Strand (GAS)

Figure 1 – Tracks in Senior High School

Academic
GRADE 11
TechVoc
GRADE 12
Sports

Art and Design

Figure 2 – Academic Track- 4 Strand

STEM HUMSS GENERAL ABM

ACADEMIC

TOTAL 4 STRAND

The Senior High School Curriculum has total of 31 subjects. The 31 subjects are grouped
into 15 core subjects, seven (7) contextualized subject and nine (9) specialization subjects.
The ff. are the core subjects to be taken by all students regardless of track. There are also
common subjects for different tracks and the highly specialized courses for each track:
Core Subjects
Oral Communication
Reading and Writting
Language Komunikasyon at Pananaliksik sa Wikang Filipino at Kulturang Pilipino

Pagbasa at Pagsusuri ng Iba’t ibang Teksto Tungo sa Pananaliksik

21st Century Literature from Philippines and the World

Humanities
Contemporary Philippine Art from the Regions

Communication Media and Information Literacy

Mathematics General Mathematics
Statistics and Probability
Science Earth and Life Science Lecture and Laboratory
Social Science Personal Development/Pansariling Kaunlaran
Understanding Society and Culture
Philosophy Intro to Philosophy of the Human Person/Pambungad sa Pilosopiya ng Tao
PE and Health – Physical Education and Health

Below are the 7 contextualized subjects. The contextualized subjects apply to all tracks
and strands but the subject are taught in the context of the track. For example, English for
Academic and Professional purposes for the TechVoc track will center on techvoc terms,
describing and reporting techvoc-related procedure while for the Sports track, the English subject
will focus on the language for sports. Research may be a presentation and defense of a paper in
management for ABM track or in STEM but may be cultimating activity or exhibit for the Arts
and Design track and end-of-the-term exhibits for the Art and Design track.

Academic Track Tech-voc, Sports, Arts and Design Tracks

English for Academic and English for the Professions
Professional Purposes
Introduction to Research Research Skill 1
Methods Quantitative
Introduction to Research Research Skill 2
Methods Qualitative
Filipino course Mga Diskurso sa Trabaho
ICT for Learners ICT application
Entrepreneurship Entrepreneurship
Research Project Research Project/Culminating Activity
7 APPLIED SUBJECTS
Academic Tech-Voc, Sports, Arts and Design
1. English for Academic and Professional Purposes
2. Research in Daily Life 1
3. Research in Daily Life 2
4. Pagsulat sa Filipino sa Piling Larangan
5. Entrepreneurship
6. Empowerment Technologies (E-Tech):
ICT for Professional Tracks.
7. Research Project/ Culminating Activity

SPECIALIZATION SUBJECTS, ACADEMIC TRACK, ABM

1. Applied Economics
2. Business Ethics and Social Responsibility
3. Fundamental of Accountancy, Business and Management 1
4. Fundamental of Accountancy, Business and Management 2
5. Business Math
6. Business Finance
7. Organization and Management
8. Principle of Marketing
9. Work Immersion/Research/Career Advocacy/Culminating Activity

SPECIALIZATION stem
1. Pre-Calculus
2. Basic Calculus
3. General Biology 1
4. General Biology 2
5. General Physic 1
6. General Physic 2
7. General Chemistry 1
8. General Chemistry 2
9. Work Immersion/Research/Career Advocacy/Culminating Activity

SPECIALIZATION humss
1. Creative Writing
2. Creative Non-Fiction: The Literacy Essay
3. World Religion and Belief System
4. Trends, Networks and Critical thinking in 21st Century
5. Philippine Politic and Governance
6. Community Engagement, Social Participation and Cetizenship
 7. Disciplines and Ideas in Social Sciences
8. Disciplines and Ideas in the applied Sciences
9. Work Immersion/Research/Career Advocacy/Culminating Activity

SPECIALIZATION General academic strand (gas)

1. Humanities 1
2. Humanities 2
3. Social Science 1
4. Applied Economics
5. Organization and Management
6. Disaster Readiness and Risk Reduction
7. Elective 1 (from any track/strand)
8. Elective 2 (from any track/strand)
9. Work Immersion/Research/Career Advocacy/Culminating Activity

SPECIALIZATION sports
1. Safety and First Aid
2. Human Movement
3. Fundamental of Coaching
4. Sports Officiating and Activity Management
5. Fitness, Sports and Recreational Leadership
6. Psychosocial Aspect of Sports and Exercise
7. Fitness Testing and Exercise Programming
8. Practicum (in-campus)
9. Work Immersion/Research/Career Advocacy/Culminating Activity

Specialized courses in the academic track

Liberal Arts HUMSS BAM STEM
Literature 1 Literature 1: Fiction and Applied Economic 1 Pre-Calculus
Drama
Humanities 1 Literature 2 Applied Economic 2 Basic-Calculus
Social Science 1 Humanities 1: Popular Accounting 1 General chemistry 1
Art as text
Economics 1 Humanities 2 Accounting 2 General chemistry 2
Organization and Education 1: Foreign Business Math General Physics 1
management language 1
Applied Science Social Science 1 Organization and General Biology 1
management
Pre-Calculus Social Science 2 Principle of General Biology 2
Marketing
Work Immersion/Research/Career Advocacy/Culminating Activity
Specialized courses for arts and design tracks
Arts and Design Strands
Art Assessment and Guidance

Arts Track 1 – Introduction to Applied Arts and Design Production

Arts Track 2 – Introduction to Performing Arts
Arts Track 3 – Understanding Elements and Principle of the Different Arts
Arts Track 4 – Work Environment in Various Art Field
Arts Track 5 – Developing Filipino Identity in the Arts
Arts Track 6 – Leadership and Management in Different Arts Field
Arts Track 7 – Apprenticeship and Exploration of Different Arts Fields
(Production and Performing: Music, Dance
Arts Track 8 – and Theater)
Arts Track 9 – Apprenticeship and Exploration of Different Arts
Design Production (Media Arts, Visual Arts and Literary Arts)

Specialized courses for sports track

Sports Track Subject
1. Safety and First Aid
2. Understanding Human Movement
3. General Coaching Course
4. Sports Officiating
5. Fitness Leadership
6. Sports/Recreation/Fitness Management
7. Student-Athlete Enhancement and Formation
8. Fitness Testing and Exercise Prescription

Reporter: Marlon P. Bantog

Course: Curriculum Development
Prof: Dr. Leandro T. Olubia
Task Sheet:

1. With your learning PAL’s collaborate and differiate the Cause and Effect of K to
12 Law in curriculum.

Cause Effect

Teachers

Students

Content

PAL #1___________
PAL #2___________
PAL #3___________

3. Write a short “PLEDGE” related to K to 12 laws, Maximum 1 paragraph.

“My Pledge”
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