Note: This is from the perspective of education policy workers who served during the early implementation of K to 12
PRESIDENT Marcos’s latest remarks on the K to 12 Program — including his frustration with its outcomes and the blame placed on past administrations — are nothing new.
Every president in recent memory has inherited the same crisis: Learning poverty, teacher burnout, classroom shortages, and an education system struggling to keep up with the world. The script has not changed. What should?
Let’s be clear: President Marcos isn’t wrong about the system’s failings. But pointing fingers backward, especially when one was part of the Senate that debated K to 12, doesn’t move us forward. In fact, K to 12’s intent was sound — to align with global standards and improve employability — but its rollout suffered from the same age-old pitfalls: insufficient infrastructure, unclear industry alignment, unrealistic expectations of teachers, and little systemic support.
We were there when DepEd had to implement this monumental reform without full backing. We also saw the policy’s potential — and its limits — up close.
The President’s reappointment of Secretary Sonny Angara, a co-author of K to 12, is perhaps a silent signal that he’s giving the program another chance — this time under someone who believes in its vision.
That’s a good sign.
But his latest comments should also be taken as a warning: time is running out.
The public’s patience is wearing thin, and we’ve now seen how neglect, if left to fester, becomes generational.
Instead of blame, let’s shift to accountability.
* Are we building enough classrooms fast enough?
* Are we supporting teachers not just with praise, but with real relief from non-teaching tasks?
* Are we measuring learning outcomes that truly reflect understanding, not just pass rates?
* Are we investing in STEM capacity, not just announcing it?
These are the questions that matter. And we can’t wait for another administration to answer them.