GENERAL SANTOS CITY (MindaNews/21 January) — The Department of Education (DepEd) in Region 12 will hire an additional 1,802 elementary and secondary school teachers this year to complement with the ongoing implementation of the national government’s enhanced K to 12 basic education program in the area.
Dr. Allan Farnazo, DepEd Region 12 director, said Tuesday the hiring of the new teachers is part of the agency’s continuing personnel build up in connection with the full implementation of the K to 12 program within the next three to five years.
“We are currently filling up the teacher needs of our elementary and high schools to ensure the proper implementation of the program,” he said in a media forum.
The official said the region’s hiring quota for new teachers was set by DepEd central office based on an earlier assessment of the area’s needs.
Last year, he said the region’s hiring quota for new teachers reached a total of 3,462, which was allocated based on the needs of the area’s nine school divisions.
Farnazo said this year’s 1,802 additional teachers will be hired and assigned to various schools in Region 12 before the opening of classes in June.
Region 12 comprises the provinces of South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani and North Cotabato, and the cities of General Santos, Koronadal, Tacurong, Kidapawan and Cotabato.
“The hiring program will continue until the full implementation of the K to 12 program by the year 2017 or 2018,” he said.
DepEd started in June 2012 the phased implementation of the K to 12, a flagship education program of the Aquino administration that aims “to improve the quality of high school graduates by giving them more time to learn.”
The program mainly seeks to level the country’s education with the rest of the world, with 12 years of basic schooling already a global standard.
The K to 12 model involves Kindergarten, six years of elementary education, four years of junior high school (Grades 7 to 10) and two years of senior high school (Grades 11 to 12), a program briefer said.
It said the two years of senior high school intend to provide students time to consolidate acquired academic skills and competencies relevant to the job market.
DepEd earlier started the institutionalization of public kindergarten and introduced new Grade 1 and First Year high school curriculum in preparation for the program’s full implementation.
Aside from the hiring of new teachers, Farnazo said the DepEd central office has issued the go-signal for the construction of 1,802 additional classrooms this year.
He said some of the new classrooms, which will be built by the Department of Public Works and Highways, are due for completion by June this year. (MindaNews)