Philippines: DepEd supports P-Noy on two more years in basic education

PRESS RELEASE

DepEd supports P-Noy on two more years in basic education

The Department of Education chief expresses its full support to President
Noynoy Aquino’s 12-year education cycle to make it at par with the world’s
standard.

DepEd Secretary Armin Luistro reiterates that he is behind P-noy to upgrade the
country’s basic education. “I am not having second thoughts and the President
has my full support in this education reform agenda,” said Luistro.

He furthered that changing the education cycle from 10 years to 12 years is no
easy task but is attainable. However, the processes will take time and may go
beyond the term of the current or even the next administration.

“I believe the process will take some time and may go beyond the term of the
Aquino administration owing to the changes to be made in the curriculum. We
will review it, evaluate the contents, integrate what needs to be integrated and
see how it is going to work. Then we will give our recommendation to the
President,” Luistro explained.

In the President’s first State of the Nation Address (SONA), he included the 12-
year education cycle as part of his reform programs, saying, “Magkakapondo na
po para maipatupad ang mga plano natin sa edukasyon. Mapapalawak natin
ang basic education cycle mula sa napakaikling sampung taon tungo sa global
standard na labindalawang taon.”

Luistro said that once the decision is made to change, it will be irreversible. "We
will begin implementing the new curriculum in the first grade while the second
grade continues with the old curriculum. The following year, those from grade 1
will use the new grade 2 curriculum until they complete the new cycle. After
nine years from first implementation, all those under the previous 10 year cycle
will have graduated and the new one is in effect."

He, however, explained that it is not just the question of adding more years. "It
is not just about adding more years but about giving the Filipino youth a holistic
education curriculum that will prepare them for real life."

Sec. Luistro and the entire department agree to President Aquino when he said,
“if we fix basic education, we fix the long-term problems of the country. And if we
fix the country’s problems, we can build a truly strong society we can proudly
call the Philippines.”

“Although the department takes this as a big challenge, we join the entire
Aquino administration in its goal of bringing hope and contributing for the
common good of our real boss – the Filipino people, in general, and the youth,
in particular,” assured Luistro.

Also, Luistro wants to address backlogs in education resources in two years as
part of the government’s serious reform efforts. END