New DepEd chief wants 'undelivered' K-12 employability addressed

MANILA – Incoming Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary, Senator Juan Edgardo "Sonny" Angara, on Wednesday urged government agencies and companies to hire Senior High School (SHS) graduates in jobs that require simple tasks.

Angara, who was appointed by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. as new DepEd chief, said most job qualifications in the country still demand the completion of college degrees, making the promise of K to 12 employability "undelivered."

"Sa ngayon, hindi totoo iyan, hindi nangyayari iyan (For now, that's not true, it's not happening)," Angara said in a radio interview, referring to the promise of K to 12 employability.

"Hindi lang naman mga eskwelahan ang may kasalanan diyan. Iyong mga employers, o ahensya mismo, lagi nila nilalagay na college graduate. Kung simple lang naman ang mga gawin, bakit college graduates (This is not solely the fault of schools. The employers and even government agencies, they always demand [applicants] to be college graduates. If the tasks are simple, why college graduates)?"

Angara will replace resigned Education Secretary, Vice President Sara Duterte, who earlier launched a review of the K to 12 curriculum due to some challenges since its official launch in 2012.

"Gusto nating i-convince ang ating mga (We want to convince our) employers, even starting with the government agencies, iyong mga lower-level jobs po, dapat ay K to 12 graduates in certain competencies or certain skills na tinuro sa kanya, dapat sapat na po iyon (that in the lower-level jobs, certain competencies or certain skills taught to K to 12 graduates must be enough)," he said.

Angara said he would wait for the result of the ongoing K to 12 curriculum review to identify the needed revisions and address the skills mismatch and employability challenges.

Meanwhile, DepEd spokesperson Michael Poa said once enacted, Senate Bill 2367 or the Batang Magaling Act, which seeks to revise the eligibility requirements for government employment in consideration of SHS graduates, would help boost their employability, with government agencies setting the example of applicable qualification standards.

Angara also called for a holistic approach in terms of improving the education system, including a more flexible option, such as ladderized education.

"Iyong pwedeng mag-aral habang nagta-trabaho. So, eventually, makukuha niya iyong kanyang diploma, maaaring hindi lang apat na taon. Mayroon tayong mas simpleng degree sana. Pero hindi na ho sakop ng Department of Education iyan, sakop po iyan ng CHED (Commission on Higher Education) o TESDA (Technical Education and Skills Development Authority). Pero dapat ganun po ang galaw ng gobyerno (Those opportunities where you can study while working, so they can eventually get their diploma, maybe four years. We hope to have a simpler degree. But that's no longer under the Department of Education. That's under CHED or TESDA, that's how the government should move)," he added.

CHED, TESDA, and the Department of Labor and Employment have partnered with the DepEd to provide free assessments for certification to SHS – Technical Vocational Livelihood (SHS-TVL) Track graduates in May to help SHS graduates become more employable.

Under two joint memorandum circulars, these government agencies will fund the graduates' assessment for National Certificate I and II, as well as the embedding of the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) into all SHS tracks.

Angara underscored the need to bring back the country's education system to "basic".

He made the remark as the Philippines ranked in the bottom 10 out of 81 participating countries in the 2022 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), particularly in areas of reading comprehension, mathematics, and science, and even second to the last in creative thinking.

"Iyong curriculum, gawin nating simple tapos siguro iyong pagbabasa, I think back to basic ho tayo (Our curriculum, we should make it simple and the reading, I think we should go back to basic)," he said.

He said DepEd may improve learners' capacity by strengthening "the building blocks" of knowledge and streamlining its programs.

"Halos nandoon tayo sa dulo, especially sa mga kapasidad natin sa reading, sa agham, at saka sa matematika, pababa ho iyan…. Siguro iyon nga, medyo naging cluttered iyong curriculum natin, marami masyadong tinuturo sa mga bata (we're almost at the bottom, especially in reading, science, and mathematics capacity, it's dropping…Perhaps, the curriculum became cluttered. A lot of things are being taught to the kids)," he said.

He said a streamlined method would mean changing styles into a more focused teaching approach, alongside redirection of where to find credible learning tools amid the rise of artificial intelligence, just like in other well-performing countries.

Besides reading, mathematics, and science, Angara also mentioned the need to discuss history and good manners in schools.

Asked if a P50,000 entry-level salary may be feasible, Angara expressed his support not only in increasing the benefits but also in reducing the workloads of teachers in public schools.

"Tayo po 100 percent in support po tayo for all teacher increases dahil alam natin apektado po iyong kalidad ng edukasyon kapag inspired iyong mga teachers and you attract iyong pinakamagagaling (We are 100 percent support for all teacher [benefit] increases because we know that the quality of teaching is affected if the teachers are inspired and you attract the most excellent), the best and the brightest," he said.

Angara, however, said the salary increases are subject to various considerations and coordination with the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), Department of Finance (DOF), and Congress, among others.

In terms of workloads, Angara said teachers should have more time in teaching and dealing with learners rather than in administrative tasks.

Earlier, Duterte approved DepEd Order No. 5 to ensure more streamlined and classroom-based work for public school teachers, rationalizing their workload and removal of their administrative tasks.

Under DO No. 5, teachers shall render eight hours of service per day, with six hours devoted to actual classroom teaching and two hours for remaining ancillary tasks, which may be done inside or outside school premises.

It also indicated the grant of overtime pay and overload pay for teachers. (PNA)