VICE President and Secretary of Education Sara Duterte reportedly asserted that BBM announced around the time, late July 2022, of his State of the Nation Address (SONA) that he was giving Sara up to a year to formulate her views as to how, if at all, the implementation of K-12 should be altered.
One aspect that she has mentioned is her interest in the re-introduction of mandatory ROTC. This concept has received what is politely called a mixed reception. Attention was drawn to allegations of harassment, bullying, and even murder when mandatory ROTC was in force around 20 years ago. Our family, however, did not experience unpleasantness of any kind. There was, however, criticism about the wastage of time, particularly weekend time, when ROTC was mandatory.
The Constitution (Article XIV Section 3) says: ‘All educational institutions shall include the study of the Constitution as part of the curricula. They shall inculcate patriotism and nationalism, foster love of humanity, respect for human rights, appreciation of the role of national heroes in the historical development of the country, teach the rights of duties and citizenship, develop moral character and personal discipline, encourage critical and creative thinking, broaden scientific and technological knowledge, and promote vocational efficiency.’
So far, the case for ROTC re-introduction has not been made. More specifics about its curriculum need to be promulgated before a well-founded recommendation can be authoritatively put forward.
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What about critiquing K-12?
Sara need not be hesitant in undertaking this task. She can take comfort in the fact that 32 million people voted for her in the 2022 election. K-12 was constructed by Br Armin Luistro who did not have any electoral support. In a democracy, this is a significant disadvantage.
Those who are against some aspects of K-12 believe that a proper dialogue before RA 10533 was passed did not take place.
For example, six years of compulsory high school need to be completed before a student can enter tertiary education. In 2011 Sen Ralph Recto conducted a survey in which six years of high school did not have the support of the majority of those surveyed.
In 2012, I contacted BBM’s office indicating my concerns about K-12. I received a well-thought out and useful reply. If/when Sara solicits views, both for and against K-12, she will find many helpful responses. It will then be possible for her to make useful recommendations.
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Brigada Eskwela was originally used in the early years of President Aquino’s term. The activity consisted of the Department of Education pressing ‘stakeholders’, typically parents, to undertake maintenance tasks in schools. This free labor meant that around P1 billion per year was saved as a result of not hiring contractors to do the work. As a result, Armin Luistro earned, or believe he earned, pogi points from Aquino for the savings made.
Brigada Eskwela can be used in more significant ways. One possibility which may gain traction is for volunteers to help students to read. Improvements in reading comprehension are vital./PN
