Protesters from various youth progressive groups call to scrap K-12 program, storming the parameters of the Department of Education (DepEd) Davao Regional Office. Photo by Paulo Vicencio

Progressive youth groups held a protest to call for the scrapping of the K to 12 program in front of the Department of Education (DepEd) Davao Regional Office around 2PM today, May 29.

Groups such as the Kabataan Partylist, Anakbayan, and the League of the Filipino Students (LFS), together with the students from different high schools and universities in Davao, joined to stop the implementation of the K to 12 program.

Anakbayan – Southern Mindanao Region Spokesperson Malaya Genotiva emphasized in her speech during the protest that K to 12 causes additional burdens to Filipino families.

According to LFS- Southern Mindanao Region Spokesperson Joyce Perpetua, “Kining K-12 dili maong tubag sa kalisod sa edukasyon. Ilang gihipong solusyon kay pagbag-o sa curriculum. Dili madagdagan ang kalidad sa edukasyon sa pagbag-o sa curriculum. Kabalo man ta nga apektado ang kalidad sa Edukasyon sa kawad-on. So dapat ang mahimong tubag sa gobyerno kay ang pagtubag sa kung unsa man tong wala: ang kawad-on sa classrooms, ang kawad-on sa libro.”

She also mentioned that K-12 should not only be suspended but should be totally scrapped.

As part of their protest, the said groups made noise by hammering the front gates of DepED with stones.

Meanwhile, the K to 12 program will be fully implemented this upcoming school year 2015-2016.