The Philippines is committed to achieving its Education for All (EFA) goals not only for the development of each Filipino, but also for the overall social and economic progress of the country. Part of the Philippine Education For All Plan of Action 2015, is Critical Task No. 5, “the expansion of basic education, targeting that by 2015, the Philippines has lengthened its cycle of basic education schooling to make it twelve years.”

1. Improving the
Philippine
Education System
through the K to 12
Education Program

2.  The Philippines is committed to
achieving its Education for All (EFA)
goals not only for the development of
each Filipino, but also for the overall
social and economic progress of the
country. Part of the Philippine Education
For All Plan of Action 2015, is Critical
Task No. 5, “the expansion of basic
education, targeting that by 2015, the
Philippines has lengthened its cycle of
basic education schooling to make it
twelve years.”

3.  The Department of Education (DepEd) and
allied stakeholders are responding to the
urgent and critical need to improve the
quality of basic education in the
Philippines through a major education
reform known as K to 12, which means
kindergarten and the six years of
elementary and six years of secondary
education. The reform includes
decongesting and enhancing the basic
education curriculum for learners to
master basic competencies, lengthening
the cycle of basic education to cover
kindergarten through year 12.

4.  Expanding the basic education by
adding kindergarten and two years in
high school ensures that graduates
earn the necessary skills and reach
the employable age to qualify
entrance into the world of work, if
they desire or need to do so. On the
other hand, graduates who opt to go
to tertiary education are deemed
better prepared for college
study/work.

5. Educational Reforms
 Expanding the duration of
basic education. The
Philippines is the only country in
Southeast Asia and one of the
only three countries in the world
with a ten-year program prior to
entry to the university.

6. Educational Reforms
 Two more years of basic education
will be added to the existing four-
year high school program to extend
the basic education from ten years
to 12 years. Aside from two years
in high school, one year of
kindergarten has now become part
of basic education.

7. Educational Reforms
 The K to 12 basic education curriculum will
prepare students with life skills that they earn
while schooling. The curriculum will enable
students to acquire Certificates of
Competency (COCs) and National
Certifications (NCs) issued by the Technical
Skills Development Authority (TESDA). These
NCs signify that K to 12 graduates have
acquired middle level skills and will have
better opportunities for gainful employment.
The additional years will also ensure that K to
12 graduates are better prepared for college.

8. Main Features of the Enhanced K
to 12 Curriculum
 In the old curriculum, so much
knowledge, skills, and values were
expected to be learnt by students within a
limited period of time. Moreover, learning
tended to be more focused on content,
which was fragmented and disintegrated.
These could be some reasons why many
Filipino students failed to master the
competencies and gain lifelong learning
skills necessary for a productive life.

9. Main Features of the Enhanced
K to 12 Curriculum
 The K to 12 Education Program
addresses these shortcomings by
reforming the basic education
curriculum. The following are
some features of the curriculum:

10. Main Features of the Enhanced
K to 12 Curriculum
The K to 12 curriculum is
decongested. The new
curriculum focuses on
understanding for mastery
and has removed the
unnecessarily repeated
competencies.

11.  The K to 12 curriculum is seamless. This
ensures smooth transition between grade
levels and continuum of competencies
through spiral progression where learning
of knowledge, skills, values, and attitudes
increases in depth and breadth. There is
also continuity of competencies and
standards from elementary to secondary
level through a unified curriculum
framework. The unified standards and
competencies ensures integration of what
learners learn across grade levels and
across learning areas for a more
meaningful learning.

12. Main Features of the Enhanced K
to 12 Curriculum
 The K to 12 curriculum is relevant and
responsive as it centers on the Filipino
learner; it is developmentally appropriate
(age appropriate) and focuses on
succeeding in the 21st century. Moreover,
the curriculum responds to the needs of
the community: an agricultural town may
offer agricultural elective courses; a
coastal area, fishery elective courses; an
urban area, industrial arts. Learning will
be systematically matched with labor
market requirements.

13. Main Features of the Enhanced K
to 12 Curriculum
 K to 12 Curriculum is enriched. It
uses integrative, inquiry-based and
constructive approaches to develop
the competencies of learners.
 K to 12 curriculum is learner-
centered. It focuses on the
optimum development of the Filipino
child.

14. GENERAL INFORMATION
 The meaning of K to 12
K to 12 means Kindergarten and the 12
years of elementary and secondary
education. Kindergarten refers to the five-
year old cohort that takes a standardized
kindergarten curriculum. Elementary
education refers to primary schooling that
involves six years of education (Grades 1 to
6). Secondary education refers to four
years of junior high school (Grades 7 to 10)
and two years of senior high school (Grades
11 to 12).

15. GENERAL INFORMATION
 Vision of K to 12
 “We need to add two years to our basic
education. Those who can afford pay up
to 14 years of schooling before university.
Thus, their children are getting into the
best universities and the best jobs after
graduation. I want at least 12 years for
our public school children to given them
an even chance of succeeding.”
-President Benigno Aquino III

16. GENERAL INFORMATION
 The K to 12 Basic Education Program aims
to produce Filipino graduates who are
holistically-developed with 21st century
skills prepared for higher education,
middle-level skills development,
employment, and entrepreneurship.
Having quality education as a long-term
solution to underemployment,
malnutrition, and poverty and is line with
the agenda of the Aquino administration.

17. GENERAL INFORMATION
Filipino graduates are envisioned to:
• Possess sufficient mastery of basic
competencies (e.g., literacy,
numeracy, problem solving, etc)
to develop themselves to the
fullest;
• Be emotionally developed and
competent to live a meaningful
life;

18. GENERAL INFORMATION
• Be socially aware, pro-active, and
involved in public and civic affairs
and contribute to the development
of a progressive, just and humane
society;
• Be adequately prepared for the world
of work or entrepreneurship or
higher education;
• Be legally employable; and
• Be globally competitive.

19. GENERAL INFORMATION
In addition, they are characterized as
graduates who:
• Possess healthy mind and body
• Have a solid moral and spiritual
grounding
• Appreciate and care for humanity,
the world, and environment
• Are proud to be a Filipino

20. The K to 12 Graduate

21. The New Learning Goals
The K to 12 Curriculum is focused on the
learner’s acquisition of the 21st century
skills as follows:
1. Learning and Innovation skills
1.1 Creativity and curiosity
1.2 Critical thinking, problem solving,
and risk-taking
1.3 Adaptability, managing complexity
and self-direction
1.4 Higher-order thinking and sound
reasoning

22. The New Learning Goals
2. Information, media, and technology
skills
2.1 Visual and information literacies
2.2 Media literacy
2.3 Basic, scientific, economic, and
technological literacies
2.4 Multicultural literacy and global
awareness

23. The New Learning Goals
3. Effective Communication Skills
3.1 Teaming, collaboration and
interpersonal skills
3.2 Personal, social, and civic
responsibility
3.3 Interactive communication

24. 4. Life and Career Skills
4.1 Flexibility and adaptability
4.2 Initiative and self-direction
4.3 Social and cross-cultural
skills
4.4 Productivity and
accountability
4.5 Leadership and responsibility
The New Learning Goals

25. Significant Changes in the
Curriculum
Prior to K to 12 Education, the
elementary and secondary schools were
using the 2002 Basic Education
Curriculum (BEC). Then in 2010, the
Secondary Education Curriculum (SEC)
was introduced in high school in school
year 2010-2011. Both the BEC and SEC
aim for functional literacy. The K to 12
Curriculum aims for holistic development
and acquisition of 21st century skills.

26. The BEC 2002 focuses on the
development of reading skills and
values of self-reliance and
patriotism. It also puts emphasis
on interactive learning approaches
and integrative teaching
approaches which integrate
competencies and values within
and across the learning areas.

27. On the other hand, SEC 2010, which
follows an Understanding by Design
(UbD) framework, focuses on setting of
learning standards and teaching for
understanding. It provides a personalized
approach using special curricular
programs. It likewise develops readiness
and passion for work and lifelong
learning. Moreover, SEC 2010 takes into
consideration the various contexts and
support systems surrounding the Filipino
learners.

28. The K to 12 curriculum considers
every aspect of development of
the learners so that graduates will
be holistically developed,
equipped with 21st century skills
and prepared for employment,
entrepreneurship, middle level
skills or higher education.

29. In developing the K to 12
curriculum, various philosophical
and legal bases were taken into
consideration. As a learner-
centered curriculum, K to 12
considers the nature and the
needs of the learners. Moreover, it
responds to the local and global
needs.

30. The K to 12 curriculum likewise affirms
the important role that various
stakeholders play in education such as
administrators in the various levels of
DepEd, other government agencies,
non-government organizations, private
sector, and the learners’ family and
community. It also entails curriculum
and instructional supports.

31. Comparison of the
Curriculum of the Old
Education and K to 12
Education

33. The K to 12 basic education
curriculum framework shows that
the K to 12 basic education
curriculum has the following
salient features:
• It focuses on the holistic
development of the learner .

34. • It is outcome-based as it
prepares learners for:
1) higher education,
2) middle level skills,
3) employment, and
4) entrepreneurship

35. • It is anchored on the principles
of:
1) inclusive education,
2) learners’ growth and
development,
3) teaching and learning, and
4) assessment.

36. The desired outcomes of the K to
12 program are defined in
expectancies which are in the
form of content and performance
standards that are specified in the
curriculum of each learning area:

37. • Content standards are what the
students should know (facts and
information), what they do (process or
skills), and what understanding they
construct as they process the
information. The students are
expected not only to understand but
also to demonstrate what they learn,
thus providing evidence of learning.

38. • Performance standards are what
students do or how they use their
learning and understanding. The
students are expected to produce
products and/or performances to
prove that they can apply what they
learn in real-life situations.

39. Comparison of the
2002 BEC and K to 12
Education Structure