Kalinga private schools prepare for K+12

By Peter A. Balocnit

Friday 2nd of March 2012

TABUK CITY, Kalinga, Mar. 2 (PIA) -- Private schools in the province welcome the implementation of the K+12 educational system, which will start next school year and are preparing everything from classrooms, facilities, and teacher support to make a good start.

Fr. Sean Mejia, superintendent of Catholic Schools in the Apostolic Vicariate of Tabuk covering the provinces of Apayao and Kalinga, said they have already discussed the program with their respective parents-teachers association and presented plans to carry out the new system.

He said parents were informed of the salient features of the program in order for those whose children are affected to prepare and make the necessary adjustment.

“Those affected are incoming kindergarten pupils and first year students,” he told PTA members of the St. William’s Academy (SWA) during a recent assembly.

The K+12 covers mandatory kindergarten for admission to Grade 1, six years elementary , four years junior high school and two years senior high school.The six year high school curriculum is set for implementation this school year with the incoming first year students.

He said along this preparation is a five-year plan for Catholic schools to be ready when incoming first years will enter the two-year senior high school.

“We have no choice but to adopt and implement the new system the reason why we construct classrooms and provide other needs of our school children before 2016,” Mejia said.

Sr. Emeteria Podaan, SWA principal explained the provisions of the program telling parents.

“What is new is the extension of high school for another two years and the requirement to complete first kindergarten before entering Grade I,” she said.

Mejia said what worries him is the vacuum in enrollees for their only college when there will be no students entering St. Louis College of Bulanao (SLCB) in 2016.

“Let’s continue to help educate the children of Apayao and Kalinga,” he said appealing to alumni of SWA, parents and patrons to donate cash and material for their on-going projects. (PAB/PIA-CAR/Kalinga)