New Curriculum

THE K-12 CURRICULUM

FOR SY 2012-2013 

As per DepEd directive, all public and private elementary and high schools are to implement the new K-12 Basic Education Program for SY 2012-2013. For your reference, here is a brief overview of the program:

• WHAT IS K-12? K-12 is a new curriculum that consists of Kindergarten and 12 years of Basic Education, which has three levels:
  • Primary or Elementary - Grade 1 to 6
  • Junior High School - Grade 7 to 10 (formerly HSI to HS IV)
  • Senior High School - Grade 11 and 12
• WHY K-12? The Philippines is the last country in Asia and one only 3 in the world that is using a 10-year basic education program, which is deemed as
  • congested
  • inadequate in preparing our high school graduates for the world of work, entrepreneurship or higher education
• WHAT ARE ITS FEATURES?
  • Decongested - there are less minimum learning competencies to cover per year, thus giving more time for mastery
  • Mother-Tongue Based (MTB) - use of the mother or local tongue/dialect for Grade 1 to 3.
  • Spiral Progression Approach - an approach wherein topics are introduced as a whole and then tackled in small portions
  • Community-Based - recognizes of the role of curricular activities and community service in the holistic development of the child
  • Aligned with CHED and TESDA programs - DepEd is coordinating with CHED (Commission on Higher Education) to reduce the number of years in college and university, and with TESDA (Technical Development and Skills Development Authority) to allign the K-12 curriculum with their technical and vocational courses.
  • Employment-ready graduates - will provide the Senior High School level with TLE (Technology and Livelihood Education) and elective subjects that help them obtain Certificates of Competency (COC) and National Certificates (NC) from TESDA as credentials for immediate employment after completing the K-12 program.
• WHAT ARE ITS STANDARDS?
  • Age - standard entry age for Grade 1 is 6 years old.
  • Duration - at least 1 year of Kindergarten
  • Curriculum - must follow the K-12 Basic Education Curriculum
• WHEN WILL K-12 BE IMPLEMENTED?
  • Universal Kindergarten started SY 2011-2012
  • K-12 Grade 1 and Grade 7 will begin this SY 2012-2013 and will progress onwards; thus, all incoming Grade 1 pupils and HS I students will enroll in these respective programs.
  • All other incoming grade (Grade 2-6) and year (HS II - HS IV) will not be affected by the new K-12 curriculum and will follow the 10-year program.
• WHEN ARE THE GRADUATES FOR K-12 EXPECTED?
  • Incoming K-12 Grade 1 will graduate K-12 Grade 6 in 2017-2018.
  • Incoming K-12 Grade 7 will graduate
    • K-12 Grade 10 in 2015-2016
    • K-12 Grade 12 in 2017-2018
• ARE PRIVATE SCHOOLS REQUIRED TO IMPLEMENT K-12? YES, since private schools are under the DepEd. Also, the DepEd has been developing the curriculum with the cooperation of private schools.
• WHAT IS THE SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL ALL ABOUT?
  • Senior High School (Grade 11 & 12) will strengthen the core subjects (Math, Science, English)
  • DepEd is looking t provide specialization in skills for various areas such as agriculture, civic works, furniture design, welding, the performing arts, sports and more.
  • It will include "Contemporary Issues" subjects on work ethics, business ethics, etc.
  • It will provide training for entrepreneurship or immediate employment.
• HOW WILL SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS CHOOSE THEIR SPECIALIZATION? At Grade 9, students will undergo several assessments to determine their interests and strengths. These will include an aptitude test, career assessment examination and an occupational interest inventory.