Walking The Talk

In her Basic Education Report on January 30, 2023, Department of Education Secretary Sara Z. Duterte-Carpio highlighted the failure of the K-12 Curriculum to deliver on its promise of producing employable graduates. The Department must seriously assess the factors that have contributed to such a failure. One factor may be the need for alignment between the skills taught to Senior High School students and the demands of Philippine industries. Many positions in companies still require a college degree, and business leaders must be convinced about the level of competence and readiness of senior high school graduates.

The Department of Education has to walk its talk primarily by putting in the necessary resources in public senior high schools that can level up to the training students receive from more expensive schools. This is one definitive action it can take to support its statement. Its Technological-Vocational track has to gauge whether the practicum experiences provided to its students are substantial enough to produce competitive graduates that attract future employers. The majority of students who would want to seek employment after SHS come from low-income families, and all they bring with them after graduation are basic skills that cannot assure them of employment. Changing the perspective of business leaders in employing them entails giving them more than just the basics. The curriculum has to level up to provide them with middle-level skills development, leadership skills, and training in professionalism. Once they are ready for employment, getting the job is one thing, and retaining it is another. There has to be a more comprehensive approach to curriculum planning and the commitment to invest the necessary resources to make it work. To make the SHS graduates more marketable, let us build connections with industry leaders and have an honest-to-goodness dialogue with them.

QUOTATION OF THE WEEK:

“AN INVESTMENT IN KNOWLEDGE PAYS THE BEST INTEREST” - Benjamin Franklin

FOR OUR WORD OF LIFE:

“The mind of the prudent acquires knowledge, and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge.” -Proverbs 18:15