For Whom Is K-12 Education: A Critical Look into Twenty-First Century Educational Policy and Curriculum in the Philippines

Abstract

To respond to the demands and challenges of the twenty-first century, the Philippines has recently undertaken educational reforms that transition and shift its 10-year basic education into a K-12 curriculum. Such initiatives, as stated in the Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013, aim to expand students’ program of learning, improve access to quality education, form individuals, who can contribute to the wider community, and boost the global competitiveness of the Filipino workforce. Interrelated curricular changes, which emphasize a student-centered, culturally responsive, inclusive, and integrative approach, came from the growing need to address issues impacted by globalization, namely poverty alleviation, sustainable development, and peaceful co-existence. Although the impact of these educational reforms on the cohort of students undergoing the full K-12 system has yet to be seen, the curriculum guides released by the Department of Education reflect how the younger Filipinos are envisioned to confront the twenty-first century. This chapter examines these curriculum guides as well as related policy documents regarding what sort of citizens recent educational reforms intend to develop. Our analysis investigates whether and how the K-12 education of the Philippines caters to a “globalization from below” rather than “globalization from above,” given a national context where facilitating dialogue and social justice is essential to ameliorate social inequalities.