May 11, 2015, 10:11 p.m. – FOUR thousand protesters
gathered at the Liwasang Bonifacio on Saturday calling for the suspension of
the K to 12 Law.
The rally, spearheaded by the Suspend K to 12 Coalition,
featured several speakers including UST Faculty Union Internal Vice President
Rene Tadle, David San Juan of De La Salle University and Tanggol ng Wika,
Teachers’ Dignity Coalition National Chairperson Benjo Basas, UST High School
Parents’ Association Board Member and Parents’ Advocacy for Children’s
Education (PACE) Chairman Revenendo Vargas, Alliance of Concerned Teachers’
Rep. Antonio Tinio, and Sen. Antonio Trillianes IV, among others.
“Kapag hindi ka nagrereklamo, sasagasaan ka. Kaya nga tayo
tumitindig dito. Hindi pwedeng sinubukan lang natin, kailangan nating pilit na
pigilin ito,” Trillanes said. “Palalakihin natin at palalakihin ‘yung ating
boses hanggang sa makarating sa Korte Suprema at sa Malacañang,” he added.
Trillianes said the next gathering against K to 12 could be
held in Luneta to accommodate a larger crowd.
Tadle, who is also the lead convener of the Suspend K to 12
Coalition, said the government should first address problems in Philippine
education before fully implementing the
K to 12 Law.
“Bago tayo magdagdag ng Grades 11 to 12, ayusin muna ang mga
problema [na meron tayo ngayon], kasi kung hindi aayusin, masasayang lang ang
buwis na binabayad ng mga tao,” Tadle said.
San Juan of the Teachers’ Dignity Coalition said the
government should ensure the quality of teachers and schools before pursuing
the K to 12 Law.
“Ang dahilan kung bakit natin pinapa-suspend ang K to 12
[ay] kulang ang teacher [at] classrooms. Itaas muna ‘yung sweldo ng mga guro
[at] ayusin muna ang problema sa 10-year basic education cycle bago magdagdag
ng two years,” he said.
San Juan claimed the K to 12 curriculum was not meant to
improve students’ learning, but was aimed at producing workers to be sent
abroad.
Basas said: “Tandaan natin, ang eskwelahan ay hindi ginawa
para lang sa layunin na magkaroon ka ng trabaho. [Ito] ay ginawa upang turuan
sa kabuuan ng pagkatao ang isang tao at mamamayan.”
Last March 12, the Suspend K to 12 Coalition filed a
petition before the Supreme Court asking for a temporary restraining order on
the full implementation of the K to 12 program. PACE is also planning to file a
separate petition.
Other groups opposed to K to 12 Law include the Adamson
University Faculty and Employees Association, Mapua Institute of Technology
Faculty Association, San Beda College-Alabang Employees Association, Union of
Faculty and Employees of St. Louis University, Sentro ng mga Nagkakaisang
Progresibong Mga Manggagawa, Federation of Free Workers, National Union of
Students of the Philippines, Kabataan Partylist, and Ating Guro Partylist. Dayanara
T. Cudal
