ARE WE READY FOR SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL?
Many questions have been asked, many heated debates have been done, but the issue remains: Are our pubic schools, even our student, ready for senior high school? Good things have been said about senior high school, distilled into the following:
1. It's about being at par with global standard in basic education cycle. Yes, it is true. Other ASEAN nations have more or less 12 years in basic education while ours is stuck with 10. Our graduates, when they go abroad for employment, are made to undergo 2 years "bridging" education, because they know our basic education is only pegged at 10 years, no more, no less. So it's about time to address this disparity.Move on with a 12 year basic education cycle.
2. It's about employability. Our graduates usually graduate at the age of 17 or 17, which is still not the legal employment age, which is 18. When our graduates finish the K-12 cycle, it will be at age 18 at the earliest, which means they can be employed (if they have the right qualifications). Another thing is that the terminal assessment for Grade 10 (4th year in today's model) is National Certificate I (NC I) which is done by TESDA and is one of the needed certificates to support competence. The terminal assessment for Senior high school graduate is NC II, which is another requirement especially when one is seeking employment abraod.
3. It's about empowerment. K-12 students are immersed in technical-vocational skills training, which will equip them with skills and competencies needed in labor market, local or abroad.
And the issue on additional years and additional expenses? Yes the waiting years is lengthened and concomitant to that are the expenses involved. But education is an investment. Expenses are necessary in pursuing something.Call it necessary evil but it will eventually biol down to one thing: Everything we do involves money. Can you go to the market without paying the cab? Might as well walk!
Now, back to the issue of readiness: Are we ready?
Surveys purportedly provide data that says we are not yet ready. Honestly I cannot say with certainty whether we are ready or not.
But, as a teacher-leader, all I can say is that we have invested so much in this endeavour. WE now have reached the point of "damn if you do and damn if you don't"
Why not give Senior High School a chance to sprout and bear fruit? After all, we are investing in the future of our youth.
1. It's about being at par with global standard in basic education cycle. Yes, it is true. Other ASEAN nations have more or less 12 years in basic education while ours is stuck with 10. Our graduates, when they go abroad for employment, are made to undergo 2 years "bridging" education, because they know our basic education is only pegged at 10 years, no more, no less. So it's about time to address this disparity.Move on with a 12 year basic education cycle.
2. It's about employability. Our graduates usually graduate at the age of 17 or 17, which is still not the legal employment age, which is 18. When our graduates finish the K-12 cycle, it will be at age 18 at the earliest, which means they can be employed (if they have the right qualifications). Another thing is that the terminal assessment for Grade 10 (4th year in today's model) is National Certificate I (NC I) which is done by TESDA and is one of the needed certificates to support competence. The terminal assessment for Senior high school graduate is NC II, which is another requirement especially when one is seeking employment abraod.
3. It's about empowerment. K-12 students are immersed in technical-vocational skills training, which will equip them with skills and competencies needed in labor market, local or abroad.
And the issue on additional years and additional expenses? Yes the waiting years is lengthened and concomitant to that are the expenses involved. But education is an investment. Expenses are necessary in pursuing something.Call it necessary evil but it will eventually biol down to one thing: Everything we do involves money. Can you go to the market without paying the cab? Might as well walk!
Now, back to the issue of readiness: Are we ready?
Surveys purportedly provide data that says we are not yet ready. Honestly I cannot say with certainty whether we are ready or not.
But, as a teacher-leader, all I can say is that we have invested so much in this endeavour. WE now have reached the point of "damn if you do and damn if you don't"
Why not give Senior High School a chance to sprout and bear fruit? After all, we are investing in the future of our youth.
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