On the Enhanced K+12 Basic Education

A lot of Filipinos still have no strong opinions regarding the K+12 program. As a parent whose child (and future children) will be definitely affected by this program, I totally support this measure. A lot of students tend to look towards life after college as the beginning of their working (and productive) lives. However, this is not so.

In fact, I have a Japanese acquaintance who only finished high school, but works in the Japanese civil service as an international coordinator. His job does not require the specialization that a college degree provides. In fact, he's probably better off as a generalist who can weave together people from different specializations to work together in order to achieve a common goal. For a more mundane example, a Filipino at age 18, should be able to work as a cashier, as a writer, as factory worker, as a supervisor, and simply be as productive as those who do not have a college degree. Mind you, education helps, but it's not required for success (unless that's your metric).

Most parents want their children to finish college. However, this is a symbolic achievement. A big one, perhaps, but a symbol nevertheless. A college education does not give you the chance to become productive and successful. That chance was given much earlier by life itself.