05 August 2012
Specialized courses of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) are now among the subjects being taken by Grade 11 students at the University in Makati (UMak) that is doing a pilot testing of the new Kindergarten to 12 (K to 12) program of the government.
TESDA, the Makati City government, and the Department of Education recently signed a memorandum of agreement for the Modeling Program that urged college-bound freshmen students to instead enroll in senior high school for this school year.
Under the new system, there will be a junior high school consisting of four years—Grades 7 to 10, which used to be known as first year to fourth year high school. An additional senior high school of two years, Grades 11 and 12, were added in the curriculum.
With its pilot batch, UMak will have its senior high school students graduating in 2014.
TESDA is among the government agencies that will play a key role in the K to 12 implementation because of the introduction of technical-vocational education training (TVET) programs in the senior high school.
“The additional two years will give the opportunity to the students to be exposed to TVET programs, allowing them to meld their academic learning with skills development,” Secretary Joel Villanueva, TESDA Director General, said.
Villanueva said the curriculum will allow the students to develop specializations in Science and Technology, Theater Arts, Dance and Sports, Business Education, Art Education and Appreciation and other areas.
“TVET programs to be included in the curriculum are tried and tested for their quality and relevance,” he added.
The TESDA chief said that many of their graduates who took in-demand courses have immediately found employment locally and abroad because they have attained the skills that matched with the needs of industries.
“After finishing senior high school, the students have the option to either work or pursue college. They now have a wider range of options because they already have the necessary skills and competencies,” Villanueva said.
TESDA will conduct a competency assessment of all senior high school graduates who took the TVET programs.
Under the agreement, Makati City will appropriate funds for the UMak to implement the Modeling Program. The Department of Education, meanwhile, will coordinate with the Department of Labor for the on-the –job training and apprenticeship requirements for the senior high school students.
Makati City is one of the 50 cities and municipalities chosen to pilot test the K to 12 program starting this school year.
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