‘Mini courses’ eyed to boost K-12 employability

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. thinks the K-12 curriculum of the Department of Education (DepEd) has not served its purpose of improving the employability of Filipino students.

In a recent media interview, Marcos Jr. said a “little bit” of policy shift will be expected in the DepEd with Senator Sonny Angara’s appointment as its next education secretary.

“If you remember, ginawa natin ‘yung K-12 dahil hinahanap ang years of training sa ating mga nag-a-apply. At sinasabi dito sa Pilipinas, kulang dahil 10 years lang, kailangang 12 years. Okay. So that was the reason we did it para employable ‘yung mga graduate natin,” the President explained.

“Pero kung titingnan natin ang naging resulta, hindi naging — hindi tumaas, hindi gumaganda ang employability nila. So, we have to do something else,” he furthered.

To address the issue, Marcos Jr. said the government may develop “mini courses” or short-term courses for students taking specialty courses.

His administration must also collaborate closely with the private sector to ensure the supply of skilled workers coming into an industry, according to him.

“So, tinitiyak namin na paglabas na may magandang pag-asa magkatrabaho, if not directly already to an industry employer,” the chief executive said.

Angara will take over the DepEd on July 19.IMT