---------- Forwarded message ---------- From:* Flor Lacanilao *<[email protected]>
Date: Thu, Apr 5, 2012 at 1:27 PM Subject: Reviewing commentaries on Philippine K-12 To: [email protected],[email protected], [email protected] Cc: [email protected],[email protected], [email protected],[email protected] *More comments on the Philippine K-12* Note that in the comments below, those of academic scientists (1-3) are supported by properly published studies/authorities, whereas those by the nonscientists (4-8) are not. Note further that the nonscientist authors and cited authorities include prominent people in education, and enjoy wide media coverage. I think this situation explains the present poor state of Philippine education. [My comments are in brackets] Florlaca ---------- *Views of Filipino academic scientists* [Defined as those who made major contribution to one's field as shown by publications in peer-reviewed international journals; that is, in journals covered in *Science Citation Index *(SCI) or *Social Sciences Citation Index* (SSCI). You can find out with Google Scholar.] *1) * The basic education system of the Philippines faces two major problems: (1) high dropout rates in primary and secondary schools, and (2) lack of mastery of specific skills and content as reflected in poor performance in standard tests for both Grade IV and Grade VIII (2nd year high school) students. Unfortunately, the proposed K+12 curriculum does not directly address these problems. Full text ("First things first: A commentary on K+12") at, http://paase.org/images/deped_k12.pdf *2)* The Philippines has embarked on an enormous P150-billion project -- the K to 12 -- that is set to add as part of the basic education a mandatory kindergarten and an additional two years to the high school. The mandatory kindergarten is not contentious because there is empirical evidence that it does improve learning outcomes. It is the learning outcomes that should concern us here. I still have to see evidence (perhaps I did not look hard enough) that the additional two years of high school will improve learning performance. Full text ("K to 12: Wasteland") at, http://www.bworldonline.com/content.php?section=Opinion&title=K-to-12:-Wasteland-&id=48155 *3)* The controversial K-12 (kindergarten to grade 12) is not really controversial. All commentaries I have read by Filipino academic scientists are not in favor of the new k-12 program (For example, Science and K+12<http://opinion.inquirer.net/22527/science-and-k12>, !nquirer, 6 Feb 2012). On the other hand, Filipino authors supporting it are not natural or social scientists (without valid publications or properly published work), regardless of their position (e.g., Group launches program to save RP education<http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20100127-249791/Group-launches-program-to-save-RP-education> , Inquirer, 28 Jan 2010). Full text ("K+12 most likely to fail") at, http://opinion.inquirer.net/23251/k12-most-likely-to-fail *Views of nonscientist Filipino educators and cited authors *[Defined as those without any major contribution to one's field as shown by lack of publications in peer-reviewed international journals; that is, in journals covered in *Science Citation Index* (SCI) or *Social Sciences Citation Index * (SSCI). You can check with Google Scholar.] *4)* The central feature of the K to 12 Program is the upgrading of the basic education curriculum to ensure that learners acquire the relevant knowledge and skills they will need to become productive members of society. . . With the participation of the Commission on Higher Education and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, the program has the capability of offering professionally designed classes and apprenticeships in sports, the arts, middle-level skills, entrepreneurship, and applied math and sciences. [Note that officials of CHED and TESDA are not academic scientists.] Full text ("The K to 12 curriculum: Our first step to recovery") at, http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/163611/the-k-to-12-curriculum-our-first-step-to-recovery *5)* Meanwhile, Brother Armin remains upbeat. 'Genuine reform needs at least a generation to take root. We’ll just have to be happy with being part of planting the seed' he said. [Commentaries by academic scientists show that this planted seed will either not grow or planted in infertile soil.] Full text ("Building a literate society") at, http://opinion.inquirer.net/25923/building-a-literate-society *6)* The delay (referring to the implementation of the K-12 system) has already caused considerable damage. The truncated basic education cycle exerted a perverse effect on the entire educational system. . . Filipino students, while studying more, were learning less; because they were not getting enough time to master basic concepts. [The above claims are not supported by properly published studies or authors.] Full text ("Returns on higher education") at, http://opinion.inquirer.net/17075/returns-on-higher-education *7)* Adding two years to the present 10-year basic education cycle is “an absolutely essential reform” to put the country’s public education system at par with the rest of the world, an international education expert said on Wednesday. . . “I actually don’t see how people can disagree with it,” said Shaeffer before an audience of top Philippine education officials and representatives from various schools. [The so-called international expert has only 2 SSCI published paper; none in SCI. He did not cite any properly published study or author, just like other commentaries supporting the Philippine K-12.] Full text ("K+12 program ‘absolutely essential,’ says expert") at, http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/132195/k12-program-%E2%80%98absolutely-essential%E2%80%99-says-expert *8) *Department Order No. 74, issued in 2009, institutionalized mother tongue-based multilingual education (MTBMLE) as a fundamental policy in our formal and non-formal education. . . the Department of Education has decided to use the L1 as medium of instruction in all kindergarten and Grade 1 classes nationwide effective June 2012 under the new K-12 curriculum. . . This is precisely what the 2nd Philippine Conference-Workshop on Mother Tongue-Based Multilingual Education aims to inculcate in us. . . The keynote speakers are international literacy consultant Dr. Kimmo Kosonen and our very own Valenzuela City Rep. Magtanggol Gunigundo. [The keynote speaker has only 2 SSCI and no SCI published papers; the other speaker has none. See also commentary 1.] Full text ("A sense of where we are") at, http://opinion.inquirer.net/22365/a-sense-of-where-we-are ------------ -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Filipino Librarians" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/filipinolibrarians?hl=en.
