The Philippine Business for Education (PBEd) urged the Marcos administration on Tuesday to prioritize strengthening the country’s education system amid proposals to scrap the senior high school program from the basic education curriculum.

In a statement, PBEd underscored that the implementation of the K to 12 [Kindergarten to Grade 12] curriculum must be significantly improved starting in the early years if the government wants to equip students with better education and enhance their employability.

“The success of the senior high school program hinges not only on its implementation but also on addressing foundational gaps within the basic education system, thus we must strengthen and accelerate critical reforms that are aimed at improving the support systems for both learners and teachers starting at the early grades,” PBEd executive director Bal Camua said.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has directed Education Secretary Sonny Angara to improve the K to 12 program as it has not yet provided any real advantage to its graduates.

“We respect the President’s assessment of the K to 12 program as a reflection of the high expectations that we all want for our learners. It is precisely this expectation that drives our continued call for education to be the government’s top priority,” Camua said.

“We must leave no stone unturned and first lay a strong foundation of basic reading, writing, and arithmetic in their early years if we want them to truly succeed in higher learning,” he added.

Last 16 June, the Department of Education rolled out the strengthened senior high school curriculum in 846 participating schools.

Among the major changes are a streamlined curriculum, increased work immersion hours, and an emphasis on practical competencies.