MANILA, Philippines --- One of co-authors of the K- to-12 measure expressed confidence yesterday that the education reform bill will be signed into law before 15th Congress ends in June 2013.
Agham party-list Rep. Angelo Palmones said he is optimistic that President Benigno S. Aquino III will sign the measure into law since it is one of his administration's flagship projects.
"I'm confident that it will be signed into law this 15th Congress. The K to 12 is an essential element for the realization of Pnoy's long term economic plans," he said in an interview.
House Bill No. 6643 or the proposed Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2012 was passed on third and final reading by the 287-man chamber in
November last year, while the Senate has yet to approve its own version of the measure, which adds two more years to the country's 10-year basic education cycle.
Section 8 of the K to 12 bill was proposed by Palmones, which allows the state to hire graduates of Science, Mathematics, Statistics, Engineering, Music and other degree courses with shortages in Qualified License Examination for Teachers (LET) applicants to teach in their specialized subjects in the elementary and secondary education provided that they pass the LET within five years after their date of hiring.
Palmones said this provision cannot be found on the Senate version of the bill.
Aurora Rep. Juan Edgardo Angara, chairman of the House committee on higher and technical education and one of the authors of the bill, said the long-stalled bill should be enacted into law, lamenting that Philippines' basic education system has been lagging behind Asian neighbors.
Under the K-12 curriculum, students will be taught four preparatory technical vocational courses in Grades 7 and 8. In Grades 9 to 12, students can choose their specializations, similar to courses offered by Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, which includes aquaculture, tailoring, carpentry, caregiving, and household services, among others.
Last June 2012, the Department of Education (DepEd) started the implementation of its K to 12 initiative, which begins with kindergarten, six years of elementary education, four years of junior high school, and two years in senior high school.
Source:
http://ph.news.yahoo.com/education-reform-measure-seen-passed-110040061.html