Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 27) — A lawmaker on Thursday said improvements have to be put in place in the K to 12 curriculum as it is not attaining its goal of producing job-ready Filipinos.
Speaking to CNN Philippines’ The Source, House Committee on Basic Education and Culture chairperson Roman Romulo said K to 12 is not working.
“Based on surveys, industry employers are saying ‘soft skills’ are not there… that is why we have to adjust,” he added.
He also cited a study by the World Bank that revealed a problem on comprehension among Filipinos up to age 10.
“The World Bank study says that prior to the pandemic there was already a problem, but the pandemic itself, based on their estimate, made it grow that is why they were saying that a large percentage of Filipinos by 10 years old really don’t know how to comprehend… that is why we’ve been saying let’s go back to reading, reading, reading,” he said.
A 2021 study by the World Bank revealed that the Philippines has 90% learning poverty, which it defines as the rate of children being unable to read by the age of 10.
To further improve the curriculum, Romulo said he supports the proposal of the Department of Education (DepEd) to merge arts, physical education, and social studies into one subject for Grades 1 to 3.
The lawmaker noted students in the said level currently have seven to eight subjects.
“Now that they have this proposal to limit it to five subjects from seven or eight, that is for me is a welcome thing. I think they are focusing on functional literacy and mathematics,” he added.
