Angara admits K to 12 failed to deliver skilled, job-ready graduates

Education Secretary Sonny Angara admitted that the additional two years in the basic education curriculum have failed to produce skilled and job-ready graduates.

Angara, a former senator who authored several education-related laws, said the Department of Education (DepEd) is currently revising the Kindergarten to Grade 12 (K to 12) curriculum, which he described as “highly congested.”

“Hindi maganda ang naging implementation nitong nakaraang dekada. Masyadong marami ang subjects at nakahon masyado ang mga bata. Hindi sila nakakapili ng subject/s,” Angara said in a statement.

“So this June, we will begin implementing the revised senior high school curriculum in 800 schools as part of the pilot rollout,” he added.

Regarding growing calls to scrap senior high school from the K to 12 program, Angara emphasized that only Congress has the authority to decide on the matter.

“Having said that, ang desisyon kung ipagpapatuloy ang senior high school o hindi ay Kongreso lamang po ang makakapagsabi at makakapagpasya,” he said.

Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada earlier filed a measure seeking to remove senior high school and streamline the basic education system. Estrada’s bill aims to retain the core principles of Republic Act 10533 but proposes to exclude the senior high school level in order “to simplify the high school system while still making sure students get quality education that meets global standards.”

Meanwhile, DepEd has also revised the age cut-off policy for Kindergarten admission to make the program more inclusive.

Under the updated guidelines, children who turn five years old on or before 30 October of the school year may now enroll in Kindergarten, extending the previous cut-off date of 31 August. The new policy is intended to provide a developmentally appropriate enrollment window, especially for children born later in the year.

Children who turn five between 1 November and 31 December may also qualify if they have completed a one-year Early Childhood Development (ECD) program at a recognized Child Development Center or Learning Center, or if they pass the ECD checklist administered during enrollment or in the first week of classes.

Private schools are likewise required to comply with the revised age cut-off, though they may administer their own readiness assessments as part of admissions.

In 2024, more than 1.8 million Kindergarten learners were enrolled nationwide out of 26.4 million learners across public and private schools, including Philippine Schools Overseas.

With the new policy, DepEd expects an increase in enrollees during the nationwide enrollment period for public schools scheduled from 9 to 13June 2025, following early registration earlier this year. Classes for School Year 2025–2026 will begin on 16 June.