SAINT MARY’S UNIVERSITY
BAYOMBONG, NUEVA VIZCAYA, PHILIPPINES
SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL
Name: Czarina Jira F. Villoso
Section: HUMSS 12 – St. Bede
Date: January 24, 2024
Subject: ENGLACAD
Senior High School should NOT be Abolished in the Philippines
The Philippine education system extended the basic education cycle from ten to
twelve years in 2013 with the introduction of the K–12, or Senior High School, curriculum.
Despite the opposition and cries for its outlawing, it is important to consider the possible
effects this may have on kids, education, and the nation's future. People in one corner are
calling for its repeal because students are finding it difficult to complete the extra two
years. In another corner, people favor keeping the other corner open since it helps students
who are still unsure about their career route. I wholeheartedly agree that Senior High
School (SHS) should not be eliminated in the Philippines, pointing out that it has many
positive effects on educational progress, encourages critical thinking for future planning,
raises the standard of education in our nation as a whole, expands employment prospects,
and effectively prepares students for the challenges of the future.
Although the K–12 curriculum has been under fire recently, it is indisputable that
SHS graduates felt it prepared them well for both the challenges of the future and
postsecondary education. Based on available data, it appears that our nation's K–12
program is a comprehensive reform designed to enhance the educational system and bring
it into compliance with international norms. With modifications to curriculum, pedagogy,
and structure, the program is expected to be a major step forward from the old ten-year
basic education system. One of the program's main goals is to enable students to be eligible
for further education after they graduate. This shows a dedication to raising the standard of
education in the Philippines and giving students the tools they need to succeed in their
future pursuits.
Moreover, the K-12 curriculum is an effective way to help students have more time
in deciding on what path to choose because of the fact that the programs offers several
tracks such as the academic track that offers four strands namely the Accountancy,
Business and Management (ABM) strand; Science, Technology, Engineering, and
Mathematics (STEM) strand; Humanities and Social Sciences (HUMSS) strand; and General
Academic Strand (GAS). Furthermore, students may also choose between the Arts and
Design (AD) track, Sports Track, and the Technical-Vocational-Livelihood (TVL) track
which also offers four strands such as Home Economics (HE), Agri-Fishery Arts (AFA),
Information and Communication Technology (ICT), and the Industrial Arts (IA) that are
aligned with the Technology and Livelihood Education (TLE) in Grades 7-10 (Llego, 2017).
SAINT MARY’S UNIVERSITY
BAYOMBONG, NUEVA VIZCAYA, PHILIPPINES
SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL
Students now have the chance to more effectively select the appropriate path in order to
fully decide on what course to pick upon graduating from the said program, thanks to the
assistance of these tracks and strands. Additionally, due of the Senior High School's tracks
and strands, students can concentrate in particular courses or fields of study, which can
help them prepare for particular occupations or vocations. This helps prevent situations
like course shifting.
Finally, because SHS graduates tend to earn higher pay and have better career
chances than non-graduates, the K–12 curriculum boosts economic benefits. Consequently,
the economy of our nation as a whole may gain. Additionally, it is imperative that young
people learn social skills, establish lifelong friendships, and build partnerships. To sum up,
senior high school is a crucial part of the educational process since it equips students with
the life, career, and academic skills they need to succeed in the future.
However, others are calling for the K–12 curriculum's supporters to abandon it due
to their observations of students struggling in their selected tracks and strands. People's
observations are simply one factor in their agreement to end the program, but in reality,
their observations are only the tip of the iceberg, and they tend to only focus on the bad
aspects of what they see. These individuals ought to think about the positive aspects as
well, such the pupils' satisfaction with the many school activities and the lifelong
friendships they made with their professors or fellow students.
In addition, the financial situation of Filipino citizens is another factor. Even prior to
the nation implementing the K–12 curriculum, some Filipino parents lacked the financial
resources to give their children the education they require. Nevertheless, there is a quick
fix for this issue that the government is implementing; it's known as the ESC voucher, or
Education Service Contracting, and it offers a sufficient discount to meet the financial needs
of the parents and kids. Furthermore, proponents think that K–12 education is not the
answer to inadequate instruction. However, in my opinion, how can someone increase their
knowledge without the program? Students really need this program to continue since it
aids in their decision-making.
Whether we like it or not, we cannot ignore the fact that, in spite of the
shortcomings of the K–12 curriculum, students must be prepared for the right path in
order to avoid changing courses because the program gives them the chance to improve
their future planning. We can assist kids who are unsure about their chosen choice by
allowing them to take their time in selecting it by opposing the elimination of Senior High
School in the Philippines. The program is also a crucial phase in the Philippine educational
SAINT MARY’S UNIVERSITY
BAYOMBONG, NUEVA VIZCAYA, PHILIPPINES
SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL
system; it represents an advancement over the previous 10-year cycle, in which graduates
of high school still require more education to be prepared for the workforce. As future
graduates of the Senior High School program by the K-12 curriculum, I believe that nothing
in life is impossible as long as you take that first step and graduating from this curriculum
is considered as the first step in achieving our dreams.