President Benigno S. Aquino III exchanges pleasantries with Nidec Corporation founder, chairman, president and chief executive officer Shigenobu Nagamori during the courtesy call at the Music Room of the Malacañan Palace on Wednesday (March 18). Also in photo is Nidec Corp director and first vice president Toshihiko Miyabe. (MNS photo)
MANILA, (Mabuhay) – Administration ally Senator Antonio Trillanes IV on Wednesday urged President Benigno Aquino III and the Supreme Court to suspend the implementation of the K to 12 education program.
“Nanawagan ako kay PNoy [at sa] Supreme Court para ipa-suspend ang K to 12 dahil hindi pa handa ang ang ating public education system at hindi talaga kaya ng mahihirap na magulang magpaaral pa ng dagdag na 2 years sa high school,” he said.
He also supported the petition filed by the Coalition for K to 12 Suspension before the Supreme Court.
Trillanes claimed he had visited several schools and found that teachers have been unprepared for the K to 12 program’s supposedly rushed curriculum.
The senator has always been against the implementation of the K to 12 program, even saying that the government should address first the lack of classrooms and textbooks.
Under Republic Act 10533 or the Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013, a student will be required to undergo kindergarten, six years of elementary, four years of junior high school and two years of senior high school. It will be rolled out in school year 2016-2017.
On the other hand, data earlier provided by the Department of Education showed there is a shortage of 34,000 classrooms for incoming students during the first year of the K-12 program implementation.
The Commission on Higher Education (CHED), meanwhile, estimates that a total of 86,001 faculty members in private higher education institutions are at risk of being displaced when students start senior high school under the K to 12 program. (MNS)