DepEd chief: HS students to undergo OJT under proposed K+12

The Department of Education’s (DepEd) proposed K+12 program will give high school students some work experience, Education Secretary Armin Luistro said in the continuation of the Senate hearing on the DepEd’s proposed 2012 budget Tuesday. "We envision an on-the-job training as early as grades 11 and 12," Luistro said, referring to the last two years of high school in the proposed K+12 program. Luistro said the program will teach high school students specialized skills, such as creating and implementing business plans, selling products, and even doing journalism. The Education chief explained that the program aims for holistic development that is “outcomes-based" to make Filipino high school graduates employable. Senator Edgardo Angara, on the other hand, questioned how the program makes the curriculum "overcrowded" by including subjects such as journalism. "Journalism? We love good journalists but why journalism in particular?" remarked Angara, chair of the Senate committee on education, arts and culture. Luistro, however, clarified that such specialized subjects will be offered as electives. Meanwhile, a number of public school teachers have criticized the program, saying it will be ineffective if it fails to address the real issues on the field. "We’ve been experiencing shortages in classrooms, school buildings, teachers, textbooks and other needs and every year the government is burdened with the backlogs of the previous year. This is primarily due to low investment in public education," he said. The hearing was ongoing as of posting time. — RSJ, GMA News