Marcos admits K-12 failure, directs DepEd to enhance curriculum

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. admitted on Wednesday that the K-12 program has failed to equip Filipino students for employment and imposes additional economic burdens on parents.

Marcos echoed shared frustrations with Senator Jinggoy Estrada, who wants to abolish senior high school under the K-12 system, noting higher costs for parents without clear job benefits for graduates.

The President directed Education Secretary Sonny Angara to enhance the current K-12 curriculum while Congress considers possible changes or repealing the law entirely.

Marcos emphasized the need for public-private partnerships in training programs linked directly to employment opportunities to address skills mismatch and employability issues.

To tackle classroom shortages, Marcos said his administration is partnering with the private sector through Public-Private Partnership (PPP) projects to rebuild and build more school buildings.

The President stressed the critical role of teachers in education reform by supporting initiatives such as retraining programs, reducing administrative loads, and increasing hiring.

DepEd is rolling out a revised K to 12 curriculum for SY 2025-2026, focusing on enhancing senior high school programs with private sector collaboration.