MANILA, Philippines – In the first day of classes in the elementary and high school levels, militant youth groups marched towards Mendiola to express protest of the implementation of the K+12 Basic Education Curriculum and the dismal state of the educational system of the country.
Led by the Youth for Nationalism and Democracy (YND) and the Youth Against Debt (YAD), an alliance of several youth and student formations, they voiced their disapproval of the K+12 Basic Education Curriculum, which is set to be implemented starting this school year.
The new curriculum would feature a longer year cycle for elementary and high school, with the addition of the Kindergarten level and two additional years in high school to be known as Senior High School and would cover technical and vocational arts, such as technician and engine mechanic courses and related fields.
However for the YND, the extended basic education cycle is more of a burden than a benefit to the Filipino people.
Elmer Aresgado, YND National Spokesperson stated that “the K+12 Curriculum is not a pro-student nor it is a pro-people program, rather this is a mere scheme by the government to create a manpower pool of young workers that serve to the global demand for cheap and flexible labor.”
Additionally for the YND, that making students spend a longer term in school is not tantamount for a high quality, global standard educational system, but it is on how the State spends money to educate its people. YND, along with YAD has been calling for a legislation automatically appropriating 6% of the Gross National Product of the country to education spending, following the UNESCO standard.
Arisgado ends, “What our country needs now is to promote a scientific, nationalist and mass-oriented education system, instead of prolonging the education cycle. What the State is doing right now is actually exacerbating the problem rather than solving it. An ideal educational system must cater to the needs of the country and its citizens, and geared towards a more holistic development, with this, along with a concrete national industrialization program which would assure our future graduates decent livelihood for themselves and their families. Only then, education serves its purpose – that is to build up our young generation in developing their highest aspirations and dreams for their country that they will realize in the future”.
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Led by the Youth for Nationalism and Democracy (YND) and the Youth Against Debt (YAD), an alliance of several youth and student formations, they voiced their disapproval of the K+12 Basic Education Curriculum, which is set to be implemented starting this school year.
The new curriculum would feature a longer year cycle for elementary and high school, with the addition of the Kindergarten level and two additional years in high school to be known as Senior High School and would cover technical and vocational arts, such as technician and engine mechanic courses and related fields.
However for the YND, the extended basic education cycle is more of a burden than a benefit to the Filipino people.
Elmer Aresgado, YND National Spokesperson stated that “the K+12 Curriculum is not a pro-student nor it is a pro-people program, rather this is a mere scheme by the government to create a manpower pool of young workers that serve to the global demand for cheap and flexible labor.”
Additionally for the YND, that making students spend a longer term in school is not tantamount for a high quality, global standard educational system, but it is on how the State spends money to educate its people. YND, along with YAD has been calling for a legislation automatically appropriating 6% of the Gross National Product of the country to education spending, following the UNESCO standard.
Arisgado ends, “What our country needs now is to promote a scientific, nationalist and mass-oriented education system, instead of prolonging the education cycle. What the State is doing right now is actually exacerbating the problem rather than solving it. An ideal educational system must cater to the needs of the country and its citizens, and geared towards a more holistic development, with this, along with a concrete national industrialization program which would assure our future graduates decent livelihood for themselves and their families. Only then, education serves its purpose – that is to build up our young generation in developing their highest aspirations and dreams for their country that they will realize in the future”.
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