PHILIPPINE President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. is looking to “expand and improve” the K-to-12 program, according to the presidential palace, after the President said it had failed to produce work-ready senior high school graduates.

“According to our President, as long as the law for K-to-12 exists, it will be supported, expanded and improved for the good of our students,” Palace Press Officer Clarissa A. Castro told a news briefing on Wednesday.

The program, which added two years in high school, was ineffective because government agencies were ill-prepared for its implementation, she said, citing the President.

“We want to clarify this. He is not saying that he is against K-to-12. He was just saying that it was not immediately effective because the agencies were not prepared for it,” she added.

Last month, Mr. Marcos said the K-to-12 program had not provided graduates with any advantages.

The educational program was touted to make senior high school graduates employable and globally competitive.

“Right now, through Education Secretary (Juan Edgardo “Sonny” M. Angara), the program is being improved,” Ms. Castro said.

The Department of Education (DepEd) is rolling out the pilot of a revised K-to-12 curriculum this school year that updated the senior high school program.

DepEd is implementing the pilot program in 889 schools across the country, 12 years after the K-to-12 system was enacted through Republic Act No. 10533 or the Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013.

The program, which added two years in high school, has been criticized due to inadequate funding, the added financial burden on families, subpar educational outcomes and questions about whether senior high school graduates are job-ready.

The President had said it would be up to Congress whether to amend or repeal the law. Some lawmakers have sought to terminate the program. He added that his government is working with the private sector to enhance the K-to-12 system and address the issue of skill mismatch.

“Whatever the law becomes, that will be followed,” she said. “But now that the law is there, it will be given value and expanded and improved.”

Meanwhile, Senator Sherwin T. Gatchalian sought reforms to address the country’s education crisis.

“We still have many reforms to advance to curb the crisis our country is facing when it comes to education,” he said in a statement. “As the 20^th Congress opens, we will continue to prioritize reforms that will improve the quality of education in our country.”

The senator earlier filed a bill that seeks to cut the number of years in college from four to three years. The measure seeks to integrate general education subjects taught in college into the senior high school program.

A January 2025 report by the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2) warned about the dire state of basic literacy in Philippine public schools, with students falling four to five years behind the expected reading proficiency for their grade levels.

EDCOM 2 recommended a “teach-at-the-right-level” approach, tailoring instruction to students’ actual learning needs rather than their age or grade. It also sought stronger support from DepEd in enforcing remedial and foundational programs.

Amid a persistent learning crisis, the government fell short of its target to add 20,000 teachers for the school year, managing to recruit only 16,000.

It is also seeking 10,000 additional administrative assistants to support public schools as they handle accounting, paperwork, documentation and other matters.

EDCOM 2 earlier said DepEd should consider population growth, vulnerabilities, projected deterioration and available private school capacities in addressing the classroom backlog. — Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio