K+12 Education.
This is the controversial bill that has recently been implemented here in the Philippines. What is this all about and why is it so much of a big deal? K+12 is a change in the country’s education system that would mean an additional two years of high school. It aims to enhance the quality of education and further prepare graduates for the pressures in their future workplace.
Knowing the state of most people here in the Philippines, this bill acquired a lot of negative responses. Mostly due to the fact that the additional two years of school would mean two more years of financial burden to families. Let us admit it, it’s a given fact that a lot Filipinos are striving so hard just so they can send their kids to school. The additional two years worth of school expenditures is not very easy on every Filipino’s pocket. That money could have been spent for their basic needs, for all we know. Plus, the earlier their children finish school, the earlier they can find jobs that, in turn, may help their families.
But on another view, I personally think that the additional two years could benefit children in a lot of ways. Filipino students are one of the youngest to graduate from school compared to other countries. Given six years of elementary, four years of high school and four or five years of college, most students receive their college degrees at the age of 20 or 21. And for that reason, our working population starts at a very young age. In other countries, like the US, those who are at the age of 20 are usually just finishing high school or starting with college. What I’m saying here is that instead of having the time to enjoy their youth, Filipino teenagers are already expected to stress over their future lives. We are expected to know what kind of job we want, which field to choose and what course to take in college at the age of 15 or 16. This is the reason why most students are undecided about which course to have for college. I mean, at 16, how are we supposed to know what we really want to be in the future? We barely had the time to experience life itself to be able to know which path to take. At that age, we are still supposed to make mistakes and learn things, not make life-changing decisions. I’m not saying that we shouldn’t think about our future at this age, I’m just saying that maybe we should be given more time to think about what we want to do in life. The addiitional two years is enough to help us explore our choices more and have more experience in school. That way, we can be a little more mature by the time we have our own jobs. They can be more emotionally and cognitively prepared for the competitive world of professionals.
I don’t know how it is for others, but for me it’s a good thing. I just think that the government should be considerate to those who are not as well off as other people. Maybe they could offer financial aids and scolarships to those who have difficulties with this change. I mean, a lot of children wants to go to school, it’s just that they don’t have the opportunity.
