0

MEMORANDUM
TO : All UP Chancellors

FROM : ALFREDO E. PASCUAL
President

SUBJECT : UPDATE ON THE UP K-12 and the ASEAN ECONOMIC
COOPERATION (AEC) ROADMAP
DATE : 16 July 2013 ___
1. This refers to the Government's K-12 Basic Education Program and our
own K-12 Roadmap and AEC plan of action.
2. As we all know, the K-12 program's implementation, which started in
2012, will inevitably affect all of UP's undergraduate and even graduate
programs beginning AY 2016. In the next 5 years, UPs enrollment will be
reduced and this will have an impact on the faculty member's academic
load, and UPs operations.
3. Similarly, the ASEAN Economic Cooperation which will be fully
implemented in 2015 will have an impact on our curricular programs and
human resources.
4. In this connection, the OVPAA has prepared some reference materials for
our Program planning activities, for which the OVPAA will act as the
Coordinator.
5. Attached is a three-page brief on the UPs K-12 preparation for
dissemination to your colleges and relevant units. The OVPAA will supply
other pertinent documents that you may need in your respective planning
activities.
6. For your concerns or queries, kindly contact the OVPAA.
Thank you.

cc: VPs, OSU

Enclosed as stated:







1
UP Gears up for the Impact of the K-12 Curriculum and ASEAN Economic
Cooperation 2015

Background/Rationale

As the 21
st
century education spreads worldwide, the UP prepares for, and
cushions the impact of the K-12 and the 2015 ASEAN Economic Community. It
has unrolled a roadmap in response to its role as the Philippines only national
university a leader and model in instruction, research and extension work.

The ASEAN Integration 2020 aims to unite the member countries of ASEAN into
one economic and multi-cultural community cooperating also on security
matters. The ASEAN Economic Cooperation 2015 (AEC), as an initial step in the
integration process, aims to develop the 10-member countries of ASEAN into a
single market and production base for the free flow of goods, services
investment, capital and skilled labor. While the goals are economic in nature,
human resource and capacity as well as their movements within the region will
be inevitably implicated. The Philippines being a signatory to and a member of
the ASEAN, endeavors to achieve the goals of the ASEAN.

Having 2015 as the target date for the ASEAN Economic Community, the
following results are expected from the education sector: 1) greater student and
staff mobility 2) greater demand for quality programs 3) more collaborative
research and curricular activities 4) competition for jobs and employment 5)
higher employer standards, and 6) race for university ranking.

The education reform that resulted in the K-12 basic education curriculum stems
from the need to address the onslaught of globalization and regional cooperation
for the graduates of HEIs to be globally competitive. This requires internal
changes to include a shift from 10 to 12 years of basic education. The reform is
stirred by the sore state of high school education in the country, which has
deteriorated in the quality and competencies of its graduates and has poorly
prepared HS graduates for college and for the labor market.

The fact remains that the Philippines is the only country in ASEAN and one of the
three remaining countries in the world with 10 years basic education (the other
two are Djibouti and Angola). By shifting to 12 years of basic education, the
Philippines will now be at par with the rest of the world. This reform that will
result in a more solid basic foundation of HEI graduates, will provide a bigger
chance of becoming regionally and globally competitive.

The K-12 Program hopes to 1) decongest the basic education curricula; 2)
prepare the students for higher education and for the labor market, and 3) be
globally competitive/ benchmark with global standards.

To affirm UPs leadership role in education, it will embark on a major change in
its teaching pedagogy, quality assurance assessments, and curricular programs,
including the review of its GE program. Given that UPs student enrollment will
be adversely affected in 2016 and beyond, a ripple effect will be expected in its
2
facultys academic load, administrative staff functions, fiscal positions, support
services and admission processes.

The concerns that have emerged are as follows:
a) What will be our decision for courses that duplicate those that will be
taught in K 11 & 12?
b) Is our present GE framework still relevant?
c) Will the required units to finish College be reduced? Will more advanced
courses be taught to majors? What consequences will the changes in the
undergraduate program bring to the graduate program?
d) Should UP change its academic calendar to align with the schedule of
international academic partners?
e) What will be the effect of the changes on the admission requirements and
examination of UP?

What has the UP System Done So Far?

A UP K-12 Roadmap has been drawn. The Roadmap has set the following short-
term (ST) and medium-term (MT) goals:
1. Increase the awareness of the impact of K-12 and ASEAN Economic
Community 2015 to programs in the UP academic community (ST);
2. Review the GE program (ST);
3. Review and streamline CU offerings (ST);
4. Realignment of the academic calendar to synchronize with
international calendar (ST);
5. Quality assurance (QA) assessment of curricular programs (ST/MT);
6. Revision of individual curricular programs by unit (ST/MT);
7. Address Faculty and Staff workload (MT), and
8. Review UP admission system (MT).

Simultaneous with the implementation of the K-12 Program in all elementary
and high schools in the country in 2012, UP through its OVPAA,

1) had its first salvo of a series of consultations with the officials of DepEd, CHED
and members of the technical working group;

2) conducted roundtable discussions with the Vice Chancellors for Academic
Affairs, Vice Chancellors for Research, and the GE Council members of the
various CUs and the autonomous College to clarify the impact of the K-12
Program and 2015 AEC as well as brainstorm on future actions of Colleges and
Universities;

3) at the start of 2013, the OVPAA conducted the consultative workshops among
the concerned officials of the CUs; the workshops will be completed in August;
those that have completed the consultative workshops are now reviewing their
curricular programs with the expected revisions completed by 2015;
4) the GE program is being reviewed and results of the review and revisions will
be presented to the various CUs for comments and suggestions, culminating in a
system-wide workshop before the end of the year, 2013.
3

What Should UP Constituents Do?

Needless to say, discussions and consultations on the impact of these changes
should trickle down to the various colleges, institutes and schools, which are
expected to craft their own specific plans and prepare their programs to address
the impact of K-12 and the ASEAN Economic Cooperation 2015.

The OVPAA has started the ball rolling for the CUs to undertake the following
activities:
1. Conduct orientation and discussion on the K-12 and ASEAN
Economic Community 2015;
2. Review and streamline undergraduate offerings and the GE
program from July 2013 onwards;
3. Participate in the discussion on the revision of UPs academic
calendar to match with international calendar before 2015;
4. Contribute ideas for the assessment of UPCAT and STFAP systems;
5. Formulate plans for faculty hiring and development including
providing opportunities for completing graduate degrees,
conducting research, publishing and reviewing syllabi during the
K-12 transition period;
6. Formulate plans for extension activities, such as mentoring public
school teachers
7. Review and formulate plans for the institution of honors programs
and strengthen the MS/MA Programs.

UP still has until the end of 2015 to implement its K-12 Roadmap and the 2015
AEC. The Constituent Units, their Colleges and other concerned sectors are
enjoined to actively participate in the process of implementing the K-12
Roadmap and AEC Plans.