MANILA — An advocacy group on Thursday cautioned government officials from scrapping the K to 12 program in basic education, suggesting to improve it instead.

Chito Salazar, president of the Philippine Business of Education (PBED), said he agreed with the push to review the program in a bid to strengthen its implementation.

"Nagsimulang ipatupad ang [K to 12] curriculum sa Grade 1 noong 2012. So iyong mga graduate ng isang buong K to 12 na programa, hindi pa nagtatapos... Pero huwag nating kalimutan, sa loob ng 12 years na iyan, nagkaroon po tayo ng pandemya. Wala po iyan sa plano. Huwag naman natin i-blame ang K to 12 dahil sa nangyari, dahil sa pandemya. So I think we need to give it more time," Salazar told ABS-CBN News in an interview.

"Definitely, there are ways we can strengthen and improve the program," he added.

Salazar made the statement after incoming Education Secretary Sara Duterte said President-elect Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr sought for a review of the program, which scrapped the country’s previous 10-year basic education system (six years in grade school and four years in high school) after Kindergarten.

K to 12 instead mandated Filipinos to complete six years in grade school, four years in junior high school, and two years in senior high school.

• 'Hindi tumalab': Some senators urge incoming admin to review K to 12 program
• Marcos wants K to 12 program reviewed, says incoming DepEd chief Sara Duterte

Salazar said the curriculum can still be decongested.

"Kailangan nating tutukan ang reading, writing, and mathematical skills. Based on that, bumuo ng curriculum," he said.

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Salazar stressed the importance of K to 12 in preparing high school students enter higher education and the workforce.

"Talagang mayroon tayong krisis sa edukasyon natin. Pero hindi naman ang may kasalanan noon ay K to 12. Isa nga iyan sa mga lunas sa krisis ng edukasyon," he said.

"Hindi pa tapos ang laban, marami pang kailangang gawin. Kailangan natin ayusin ang mga pasilidad, kailangan nating pagandahin ang pagtuturo. At isa pa po, kailangan nating i-address ang malnutrition."

The K to 12 review must be a multi-sectoral effort and should include education officials and experts, stakeholders, the business community, and civil society groups, Salazar said.

Commission on Higher Education Chairman Prospero de Vera earlier said his agency was also interested in the review of the program.

The program has been under review for two years now.

• Duterte OKs review of K to 12 program

When the agency implemented its distance learning program during the first year of the pandemic, it also rolled out a revised K to 12 curriculum that saw learning competencies reduced to the "most essential."

• DepEd reduces learning competencies for next school year following K-12 review

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