Kindergarten officially mandatory this year

EDITORIAL

The Department of Education-Cordillera has confirmed the mandatory implementation of the universal kindergarten education in the region which is a part of the K+12 program approved by President Aquino.

The program requires five-year-old children to enter kindergarten before they could enroll to grade school effective June this year.

“The Philippines is the only remaining country in Asia with a 10-year pre-university program, resulting to an insufficient mastery of basic competencies due to congested curriculum,” said Teresita Velasco, Director III of DepEd-Cordillera.

According to the DepEd, there are studies in the Philippines which have shown that an additional year of schooling increases individual earnings by 7.5 percent and so K+12 will contribute to overall economic growth.

Velasco said the universal kindergarten education aims to ensure readiness of children, to enhance their social skills and creativity at an early age which will help them cope with their new environment when they enter grade school.

In line with the program, 42 classrooms were built for the incoming kinder students. Four classrooms were built in each division of the region except for Baguio which has five classrooms built mostly inside elementary public schools.

Aside from the kindergarten education, K+12 also includes 12 years of elementary and secondary education which adds two years in high school effective June 2012 to 2013.

“There are first two years in college, where students go back to basics, they are like reviewing English, Humanity, Science, and other subjects which were already taught in high school,” added Velasco.

Velasco said that in the K+12 program, students can start immediately in major subjects when they enter college, content wise and skill wise. In line with this, students in this curriculum will graduate secondary education at 18 years old and can already be legally employed.

With the incoming implementation of the universal kindergarten education this June, the DepEd-CAR bared options in the mandatory kinder program to prepare the parents and students.

An open and consultative process will be adopted in the development and implementation of the K+12 program which includes Kinder Regular Program (KRP) which will be handled by the regular pre-school teachers with at least two classes each with 25 to 30 students and the Kinder Contracting Program (KCP) to handle five years old children not accumulated in the KRP through contract of service.

There is also a Kinder Summer Program (KSP) for pupils who will be six years old by October of the school year, and Kinder Service Contracting in Selected Urban Centers (KSC-SUC) to be managed by the region and implemented in selected urban centers.

Children with special needs like those with disabilities will be handled by qualified SPED teachers on permanent status.

As for the teachers for the pre-school classes, Velasco said that there will be the regular and volunteer teachers who will be handling the group of students. Volunteer teachers are currently undergoing their trainings and seminars for the upcoming program under each division.

The volunteer teachers will be receiving P3, 000 honorariums for handling 11-30 students and P1, 500 honorariums for teachers who will handle 10 students and below.