President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Friday has expressed concerns about the effectiveness of the K-to-12 education system in improving Filipino graduates’ employability, saying that the program hasn’t adequately equipped students with the skills needed for the workforce.
In an interview, the President stressed that the anticipated outcomes envisioned for the K-to-12 curriculum haven’t materialized, as the program lacks alignment with industry demands.
“We implemented K-12 because the additional years of training were required for our applicants abroad. Here in the Philippines, it was said that our education was lacking because it only had 10 years. So, we did it to make our graduates more employable,” Marcos said.
“But if we look at the results, employability did not improve. We need to do something else. That’s why we were examining things like mini-courses, 3 or 6 months, 1-year short courses for specialties,” Marcos added.
Marcos pointed toward the need for alternative approaches, such as short-term vocational training programs, to address the skills gap as he stressed the importance of collaboration with the private sector to ensure a steady pipeline of skilled workers meeting industry needs.
“This kind of coordination is important because sometimes things happen but there are still no jobs,” Marcos said. “We need to make sure that upon graduation, there is a good chance, a good opportunity for employment.”
The President additionally highlighted the Philippines’ low performance in international student assessments, particularly in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subjects.
“The area that is most in demand right now because we’re getting more and more technical,” Marcos said, referring to STEM fields.
The Department of Education (DepEd) is currently reviewing the curriculum for Grades 11 and 12, aiming to produce graduates who are both job-ready and responsible citizens.
Meantime, incoming DepEd Secretary Sonny Angara, a co-author of the legislation that established the K-to-12 program, acknowledged the need for a thorough review, particularly regarding senior high school implementation. However, he stressed that the K-to-12 program remains mandated by law.