REACTION PAPER REGARDING

THE K-12 EDUCATION IN THE PHILIPPINES

The

K-12

Education

program

by

the

Department

of

Education,

said to refurbish the basic and secondary education curriculum by adding

two more years to the system, is arguably one of the most drastic and
controversial programs of the Aquino administration. The intention is good
but the proposed solution is questionable. Will it yield the desired outcome
or just result to a greater problem? The Department of Education claims
that K-12 will solve the annual growing number of out-of-school youth. This
sounds good but does it really address the problem concerning the
countrys out-of-school youth. My question is how? When in fact, students
and parents complain that it would be an added burden to them particularly
to poor families. It is human nature to prioritize physiologic needs before
anything else. This in return might just result to a higher drop-out rate.
There should be a proper care for this marginalized, deprived and
delinquents fraction of the population and K12 is just not it. They also said
that K-12 will address low achievement scores and poor academic
performance of elementary and high school students and those enough
resources to implement this is available. DepEd should focus more on
quality before quantity. What the poor performing students direly needs is

for the development and establishment of a quality education system that

caters to their needs. Making Philippine education longer does not
guarantee quality education. Budget deficit is still one of the foremost
problems of our country but if they claim that resources are at hand, then
why not allocate this to a more prominent and direct problem of our
education. Among the main issues that relates to this are the number
of schools and classrooms, the number of teachers, and even the
availability of books and other school supplies. The predicament of the
Philippine education system rooted not on the number of years spent in the
academic institutions but rather on the conditions and foundation on which
it keeps going.

SIX HOUR TEACHING LOAD FOR PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHERS

The Magna Carta forTeachers mandates the six hour teaching load of
teachers. There had been issues arises on this provision. Different
understanding was then circulating to the education department regarding
this.
The Department of Education had made clear of this with the Civil
Service Commission. Implementing rules are released to make clear of
different concerns brought about by the mandate.
I myself had been in favour of this mandate given by the Magna Carta
in consonance with the rules and regulations given by the Department of
Education. Because we are under a government agency, it is our duty and
responsibility to serve our offices at eight hour workday. For our case,
teachers, we are not required to teach eight hours straight, but rather the
maximum teaching load is only six hours. The remaining two hours is spent
on doing daily lesson plans, instructional materials, paper works, home
visitation and other related work. What confuses me is the confinement of
the teacher inside school premises for eight hours. The mandate is given,
the Department of Education had well explained their rules and regulations,
but still to no effect, we teachers are required to stay at the school for eight
hours.

Doing related work can be done outside school premises. We should

not be confined inside especially if school resources are not that enough.
We want to deliver to our students the best lesson every day. But, most
schools do not have and cannot provide our needed resources. We want to
adopt change in our learning, but no changes in the system. Perhaps, the
Department of Education could re-iterate the provision of the Magna Carta
for Teachers and the rules implemented by the Civil Service Commission to
the school principals. That, in such instance that we teachers are able to
complete the six hour required teaching load, other related work could be
done outside, giving us more time to devout on our career.

AS A SCHOOL HEAD: READ THE PLAN INTELLIGENTLY AND KNOW

IT BY HEART
(From the topic Implementing the Plan)
As far as education is concerned, implementing the plan is the most
difficult stage, be it, a new curriculum, a program of every department of
different school organization. A school leader on this aspect should not only
focus on the blue print of the plan, but a knowing it wholeheartedly will lead
an organisation to a success.
At the first stage of implementing a plan, the school leader should
oversee his people doing the job. At the school system, these are divided
into department that will do the job. A focal person assigned to each
department should report the in and out of the job. The school leader must
not take into for granted the reports made, but take into consideration if the
plan is going along as planned or revisions of the plan should be made.
Communication is also vital in the implementation process. The
school leader should not depend in all reports made by the focal person.
He must investigate if the reports given are true and authentic. For this
reason, he can now formulate adjustment from the plans being
implemented and communicate it with the correct person that could do the
job.

The school leader must not focus on the paper works of the
implementation stage. He should have experienced it making it clear that
he is in consonance with what is being implemented. An experience of the
job will lead your people in its full implementation following what had
planned and expecting the best outcome of the plan.

AS A LEADER: N THE PURSUIT OF THE VISION AND GOALS,

MOTIVATION, ENCOURAGEMENT AND CHALLENGES IS GIVEN
RESULTING TO SOLID SUPPORT, COOPERATION AND
COMMITMENT.
(From the topic Implementing the Plan)

As a school leader, the vision and goals of your organisation should

be clear to you, from the works that you are doing reflects the vision and
goals you are achieving. If all of these had transpired to you being a leader,
subordinates will now be motivated to work with you. They will be
encouraged in achieving the vision and goals of the organisation. They will
be challenged to go on and continue with the works and programs that your
organisation is implementing.
The vision and goals of your organisation which projects the future
outcomes of your plans will result to a solid support from subordinates if
they see you working with that vision to materialize. A school leader, who
will just sit and read reports submitted to, without involving himself in the
implementation of the plan will not get full support from the organisation. He
should lead his people to gain support.

Cooperation is also vital in implementing the plan. A command from

the school leader will be highly regarded by subordinates if he himself
follows that command. He should be a model, an example in following rules
and regulations from the plan. A good leader also needs to cooperate with
his subordinates.
Lastly, commitment is the most important role of the school leader.
He can motivate, encourage and challenge his subordinates to do the job
but if you are not committed with the way you implement the plan, then they
will only be working just to implement the plan, focus on success of the
plans will not transpire.

AS A LEADER: MASTERY OF HIS CRAFT IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO

ASCERTAIN HIS WINNING THE WAR
(From the topic Implementing the Plan)
A school leader arising from the ladder has a mastery of his craft, but
a school leader who rose from a position because of his relations cannot
project mastery.
A school leader with a mastered craft will see the in and out operation
of the school. He knows how to manage his people. He knows the financial
operations of the school. He knows what program is implemented by each
department. An organization moving in and out of the school is also
monitored by the school leader.
In the context that some problems arise in his subordinates, such as
promotions and reclassification of items, a well-managed school leader will
have solutions and options for the problem. If there is transparency on the
financial operations of the school, problems will not arise on this aspect.
In terms of organizations moving in and out of the school, a well
maintained relation should transpire. The Parent Teacher Organization
which acts as an arm in implementing plans of the school will cooperate
mostly with the different projects of the school.

All of these aspects as considered by a school leader will help him

ascertain when different problems arise in the school. A good school leader
is master craft on his field.

SABBATICAL LEAVE OF TEACHERS

Most of us in the field of education are practicing continuous
professional development, be it through in service trainings or attending
formal schools. According to the Magna Carta for Public School Teachers,
we teachers from public school are entitled to a sabbatical leave. It
concerns with the study leave that can be made by teachers in the course
of his study on the formal years.
Teachers who have on-going study may apply for a sabbatical leave
through division offices. In experience, the division does not approve of the
sabbatical leave for teachers; the reason is that the Department of
Education had not allocated funds for this provision of the Magna Carta.
What is now the relevance of this provision if not enjoyed by the teacher?
The Department of Education should consider and align this provision
with the funds they are receiving from the Department of Budget and
Management. They should sit down and create guidelines on how will a
teacher can apply for such leave. The Department of Education should be
the first to implement the provision of the Magna Carta for Teachers.