Give K-12 program some time, says PBEd

THE PHILIPPINE Business for Education (PBEd), a non-profit established by the country’s top chief executive officers in 2006, said it is too soon to judge the effectiveness of the K-12 basic education program after senators recently called for a review on the curriculum’s supposed role in the sinking performance of students. PBEd Chairman Ramon del Rosario Jr. said the K-12 curriculum, which was first implemented in the school year 2012-2013, has yet to produce real results. “You have to remember, that these people (recent K-12 graduates) took the first 10 years out of the old curriculum and then they just added Grade 11 and 12,” Mr. Del Rosario said in an interview with BusinessWorld last week. “We don’t have the real graduates of K-12 yet so how can you judge the effectivity o K-12?” added the PBEd chairman, who is also the president and chief executive officer of PHINMA Inc. and PHINMA Corporation. Earlier this month during a senate session, Senator Sherwin T. Gatchalian pointed out the declining performance of Grade 6 and Grade 10 students in national achievement examinations. He also cited the 2018 Fresh Graduates Report from Jobstreet, which indicated that 35% of companies are not willing to hire K-12 graduates without undergraduate degrees. The senator called for a review of the K-12 program, enlisting the help of the Department of Education (DepEd) and other concerned agencies. Mr. Del Rosario said PBEd is open to discussions and ready to lend assistance in addressing the problems of the country’s basic education program. — Gillian M. Cortez