Competent Teachers: Good Community Link

Teachers assume a wide range of roles to support school and students

success. They can also lead in a variety of ways and one of which is they can
serve as leaders in the community where they belong.

Establish effective community relationship by applying ethical principles.

INTRODUCTION

Teachers are sometimes content to let parents and families take the initiative
in becoming involved in their children’s education. Teachers must look at
ways in which the school can initiate this involvement. The school and the
home share responsibility for students’ learning; the relationship based on
mutual respect to one another. An extension of this involvement, teachers or
schools can emphasize a broad base of community involvement.

Involvement of teachers with other organizations is used to broaden and

deepen young people’s learning and to enable them to achieve success in
wider contexts. This work is carefully planned by school leaders to enhance
school curriculum and develop the perspectives of both students and
teachers. Community links are fully embedded into the life and work of the
school.

Teachers interact with parents, with students and other teachers regularly,
affecting the of their students daily. In addition to the classes they teach,
teachers find themselves involve of their community projects and serve the
community at large as leaders. They also regulate take positions within their
barangay, communities of teachers, parent-teacher organizations
professional teacher organizations. Teachers should be guided with the Code
of Ethics Professional Teachers, Article III – The Teacher and the
Community which states that:
SEC. 1. A teacher is a facilitator of learning and of the development of the
youth; he shall, therefore, render the best service by providing an
environment conducive to such learning and growth.

SEC. 2. Every teacher shall provide leadership and initiative to actively

participate in community movements for moral, social, educational,
economic, and civic betterment.

SEC. 3. Every teacher shall merit reasonable social recognition for which
purpose he shall behave with honor and dignity at all times and refrain from
such activities as gambling, smoking, drunkenness, and other excesses,
much less elicit relations.

SEC. 4. Every teacher shall live for and with the community and shall,
therefore, refrain from disparaging the community.

SEC. 5. Every teacher shall help the school keep the people in the
community informed about the school’s work and accomplishments as well
as its needs and problems.

SEC. 6. Every teacher is intellectual leader in the community, especially in

the barangay, and shall welcome the opportunity to provide such leadership
when needed, to extend counseling Peoples, as appropriate, and to actively
be involved in matters affecting the welfare of the people.

SEC. 7. Every teacher shall maintain harmonious and pleasant personal and
official relations collectively professionals, with government officials, and
with the people, individually or collectively.

SEC. 8. A teacher posses freedom to attend church and worships as

appropriate, but shall it use his positions and influence to proselyte others.

Teachers serve as not community where they live and in the modern world,
where values such as respect, not only educators, but also mentors and role
models, especially cooperation and involvement in the community.

Involvement of Teacher in the Community

Chapter 5: Competent Teachers: Good Community Link

A teacher can get the community involved by hosting activities for members
of the community to participate. A bake sale or garage sale would be open to
the whole community. Student activities such as ball games or spelling bees
can be advertised to the public to encourage

Teachers can also work with local churches to set up mentoring programs for
the members of community especially students who are poor in reading or
doing math. Teachers can also help church activities like serving as
commentators during mass.

Another way to be engaged in the community is to get students’ families

involve in school activities. A family that gets involved will stay involved as
long as the students are in the school. Family members will be more likely to
help with activities that involve their child.

There are many ways that teachers can help build a sense of community
especially with the parents of the students. Building a network of
communications will enhance the effort. Communication are in several forms.
Today, teachers use Web pages to communicate with students and parents.
Teachers can post calendar of activities, assignments, rules, procedures, and
more. Using email, teachers can communicate with parents on a daily basis.
Newsletters, positive notes, and mentions to the classroom to visit or
volunteer will encourage parents to be actively involved with their children.

Teachers can actively participate and be involved in community organization

and centers such as Red Cross, Boys and Girls Scouts. Their direct
involvement in the leadership of the community organizations allows
teachers to help change the lives of students outside of the

Teachers can take leadership roles for current political events affecting their
lives, communities, and schools. When a bill dealing with schools and
teachers is presented in Congress, mobilize the community to show their
support for the bill.

Links with the community provide experiences which support the curriculum
and enhance their learning. Teachers should use effectively local facilities
and organizations when planning their lessons and learning activities. Such
activities focus on developing a wider awareness of the world beyond school
and encourage young people to perceive and use community as a resource.

All schools are a community. Some communities are effective environments

while others. Teachers have the responsibility to help the school to be an
effective community.

The Global Teachers: Knowledge of K to 12 Programs of Various Countries

Intended Learning Outcome (ILO): Compare the different K to 12 Programs of

various countries

Introduction

Basic education is defined as the whole range of educational activities that

take place in either informal or non-formal settings with the goal of meeting
the learners’ basic learning needs. It is essential to build stable training
partners with developed countries, especially since quality education is
afforded to learners to become knowledgeable, skillful, and competent,
ready for the global economy.
In coming years, the establishment of the ASEAN Economic Community,
composed of 10 member states, will commence for the free flow of goods
and services, including education services. This will change the educational
landscape as a result of the changing world, transformed by advances in
technology, knowledge revolution, and global perspectives.

The Present Basic Education Scenario in the Philippines

The Kindergarten Education Act in 2012 and the Republic Act 10533, also
known as the Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013, were born from the
mandate of ensuring that no learner shall be left behind and that every
Filipino child will have access to quality education. The Philippine
government believes that compulsory kindergarten better prepares learners
who have active minds for the next level of schooling.

The Enhanced Basic Education Act, popularly known as K to 12, started as a

flagship reform strategy initiated by the DepEd Secretary with the objective
of producing more productive and responsible citizens fully equipped with
the essential competencies and skills for both lifelong learning and
employment. The model is Kindergarten, 6 years of elementary education, 4
years of junior high school, and 2 years of senior high school.

- There were various proposals, studies, and consultations made before

coming up with this model suitable to the Philippine context.

- Senior High School is a preparation either for college or a career or

employment by consolidating the students’ acquired academic skills and
competence.

Reasons for Coming Up with K to 12

1. Deteriorating Quality of Philippine Education

2.
As discussed in the prepared discussion paper on ‘Enhanced K to 12
Enhancement Program’ by DepEd in the last quarter of 2010, Filipino
students had a low achievement score in the National Achievement Test
(NAT).

The Philippines also had a low performance in the Trends in International

Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) as revealed in the 2003 and 2008
TIMSS.

PHILIPPINE AVERAGE TIMSS SCORES Score Average International Rank

Participating Countries

2003 Results

Grade IV Sci 332 23 25

Math 358 23 25

2008 Results

Advance Mathematics 355 10 10

Source: TIMSS, 2003 and 2008

3. Unpreparedness for Employment, Entrepreneurship, or Higher

Education of Filipino High School Graduates
4.

This is due to the 10-year curriculum not being enough for students to
absorb the necessary knowledge and skills to pursue higher education.
Moreover, those who cannot go to college still lack the basic competencies
and emotional maturity for employment. The additional two years in the
senior high school will then prepare students for either higher education or
the world of work.

3. International Standards

Since the educational ladder of almost all countries is 12 years, the

additional two years make the Philippine education system comparable and
recognized in meeting international standards. The Philippines is the only
remaining country with a 10-year basic educational program. Graduates of
the 12-year education cycle have the potential to be globally competitive.

K to 12 Program

The sum of primary and secondary education. Used in countries like the US,
Canada, Turkey, Australia, and now in the Philippines. It is the shortening of
Kindergarten (K) for 4-6-year-old learners, through twelfth grade (12) for
learners who are 17-19 years old.

How Do K to 12 Programs of Various Countries Differ?

A. Philippines

In the Philippines, the K to 12 Program covers Kindergarten plus the 12 years

of basic education (6 years of primary education), 4 years of Junior High
School, and 2 years of Senior High School. The additional two years in Senior
High School aim to provide sufficient time for mastery of concepts and skills,
to develop lifelong learning skills, and to prepare graduates for tertiary
education, for mid-level skills development, for employment, and for
entrepreneurship.

Salient Features of the K to 12 Program

1. Universal Kindergarten or the mandated Kindergarten for 5-year-old

learners.

2. Contextualization and Enhancement by making the curriculum relevant to

learners. Students are provided with in-depth acquisition of knowledge, skills,
values, and attitudes across all levels and subjects with Information and
Communication Technology (ICT) integration; Mother-Tongue Based
instruction serves as a foundation for learning Filipino and English.
3. Mastery of knowledge and skills is done by introducing simple concepts in
spiral progression in subject areas like Mathematics and Science.

4. The two years of Senior High School is a specialization based on the

learners’ aptitude and interest. Grades 11 and 12 of Senior High School will
define the choice of career track the students choose to take up. Students
take the core curriculum composed of 15 core subjects, and 7 contextualized
track subjects. Specialization is a choice of three tracks: Academic Track,
Technical-Vocational Livelihood Track, and Arts and Design Track. The
Academic Track includes 4 strands: General Academic; Accountancy,
Business and Management (ABM); Humanities and Social Sciences (HUMSS);
and Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics (STEM).

5. Completing the enhanced Basic Education from Kindergarten, elementary,

Junior High School curriculum, and the specialized Senior High School
Program, a Filipino K-12 graduate is ready to take his/her choice path: further
education, employment, or entrepreneurship. The focus skills are the 21 st-
century skills, namely: Information, media, and technology skills, learning
and innovation skills, effective communication skills, and life and career
skills.

B. Brunei Darussalam

Brunei Darussalam starts with one year of primary education and then 6
years of elementary education. Students take and should pass the end-of-
cycle public examination before they progress to the diversified secondary
level. The secondary level has 2 categories – General Secondary Education
Program (2-3 years) and another 2-3 years of Upper Secondary Education
where students are grouped according to their academic abilities, talents,
and interests.

In the General Education Program of Brunei Darussalam, the students take

four core subjects and three complementary subjects and at least two
elective subjects with Science as one required elective. In Brunei, students
who excel academically can take secondary education in two years.
Differentiated and specialized education responding to the different
capabilities and interests of the learners are the required secondary
curriculum. Preschool in Brunei is a playschool which aims to impart socio-
emotional and personality development for young learners in an informal
preschool program.

C. Canada

Canada follows the K to 12 educational curriculum with secondary schooling

or high school structure that varies within a province in terms of inclusion of
middle school or junior high school.

Canada usually starts with Kindergarten. By law, Canadians must be in

school starting ages 5 or 6 and remain in school until ages between 16 and
18 depending on the province or territory. All provinces and territory provide
universal, free, and until secondary schooling of 12 years with the exemption
of Quebec where it offers education until 11 years.

Elementary school includes Grades 1-6 in regions where there are 2 years of
middle school or junior high school, but those without middle or junior high
school have elementary until Grade 8. In Quebec, grade school is 6 years,
and their students proceed immediately to High School.

Secondary high school with middle school or junior high school, begins in
Grade 7 to Grade 12, and those without begin Secondary high school in
Grade 9.

Post-secondary education includes career college or vocational school,

community college, or university.

D. Korea

The school system in Korea follows the 6-3-3-4 education system: 6 years of
elementary, 3 years of middle school, and 3 years of high school.
High schools are in two categories – General High School and Vocational High
School, although there are limited numbers of schools which offer both
general and vocational training, which is known as “Comprehensive High
School”. Korean Kindergarten provides a nurturing learning environment
through various pleasant activities and diverse teaching pedagogy. The
Kindergarten or Early Childhood curriculum includes physical, social,
expression language, and inquiry life areas.

Elementary education in Korea is geared towards the acquisition of

fundamentals necessary for a productive civic life through nine principal
subjects: moral education, Korean language, Social Studies, Arithmetic,
Natural Science, Physical Education, Music, Fine Arts, and Practical Arts.

The Middle School curricula are a combination of 11 basic or required

subjects, elective subjects, and extra-curricular activities. Blending of
education and readiness for occupation is reflected in the technical and
vocational courses, which are elective subjects. Korean students may
continue to High School, and admission to High School depends upon the
result of the high school entrance examination.

E. Malaysia

Malaysian education begins with Preschool where the medium of instruction

is both Malaysian and English. Preschools that use Tamil or Chinese as a
medium of instruction also conduct teaching-learning processes using
Bahasa Malaysia and English. Malaysia offers a two-year optional preschool
for learners ages 4-5. Standards-based preschool curriculum for personality
development of young learners is being followed in Malaysia.

Elementary education is 6 years with a requirement of passing the public

examination as a determining factor of the students’ readiness to secondary
or high school level.
Malaysia has two levels category for Secondary or High School: lower
secondary (level 2) and upper secondary (level 3). The lower secondary
program offers general and differentiated curriculum for 2-3 years. In the
upper secondary 2 years, students take subjects according to their
appropriate streams (Arts, Science, Technical, and Religious).

F. Singapore

Education in Singapore begins with Kindergarten or Preschool at the age of 4-

6 years old in Kindergarten, although not compulsory, a 3-4 hour provision of
language development, literacy skills, basic number concepts, social skills,
creative skills, and appreciation of music and movement is being provided to
the young learners. Mother Tongue is also part of the Kinder curriculum.
Mother Tongue language includes Chinese, Malay, Tamil, and Indian.

Preschool is followed by six years of Primary Education. English language,

Mathematics, Mother Tongue Language are the significant subjects in the
primary education curriculum. Primary school has two stages – Foundation
and Orientation Stages. During the Foundation Stage (Primary 1-4) students
are provided with an Orientation Stage English, Mother Tongue, and
Mathematics. The Orientation Stage (Primary 5-6) is the stage where
students are taught with Mathematics and Science appropriate to their level.
At the end of Primary 6, all students are assessed on their academic abilities
through the Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE). The result of the
PSLE will place the students in secondary school courses that suit their
academic learning pace and aptitude.

At the secondary level, students may either go to Special (Secondary 1-4

years), Express (Secondary 1-4 years), Normal (Academic Secondary 1-5
years) courses depending on the measured academic ability of the PSLE
scores. These four streamed courses offer highly differentiated curriculum.
Special and Express are four-year courses which lead to the Singapore-
Cambridge General Certificate of Education (GCE ‘O’) Education (Ordinary
Level) examination.
Students in the Normal (Academic) course take academically based subjects
while those in the Normal (Technical) course receive curriculum that is
practice-oriented. Students who pass the GCE ‘O’ level examination at the
end of 4 or 5 years of secondary education can qualify for Junior College (2
years), a Polytechnic (3 or 4 years), or a Pre-university center (3 years). Only
those who qualify after passing the GCE ‘A’ level examination at the end of
Junior College 2, Pre-University 3, or Polytechnic Year ¾ can enroll in local
university or to the National University of Singapore.

G. United States

The age of entry to compulsory education in the US varies according to the

state, between 5-7 years old with 6 years old being the most common as an
entry age for Kindergarten. A Kindergarten Certificate is awarded to allow
learners’ entry to Elementary School/Primary Education.

The length of primary education varies from four to seven years depending
on the States or local practice. Likewise, certification or diploma may vary by
States/Districts for transition to Secondary School. Based on its length,
elementary education may be followed or not by a number of years of middle
school education which is generally three years (Grades 4-6, 5-7, 6-8).

High School (Grades 7-12 or Grades 8-12) length program is six years
depending upon the laws and policies of states and local districts. There are
mandatory subjects in most all US High Schools which include Science
(Biology, Chemistry, Physics), Mathematics (Algebra, Geometry,
Trigonometry, Calculus, Statistics), English (Literature, Humanities,
Composition, Oral Language), Social Sciences (History, Government,
Economics), and Physical Education.

High School students, usually during their Grade 11, take one or more
standardized tests depending on their education preferences and also as
requirements for admission to most Colleges. Most common standardized
tests taken by US students are the Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) and
American College Testing (ACT). A High School diploma is awarded upon
completion of Grade 12, and the diploma covers a variety of awards for
different curricula and standards like general/basic track, vocational, and
academic/college preparatory.

By: Acuna, Balneg, Medina, Tan