2 Great Things About the K-12 Program and The Challenges They Face

Beginning with the 2012-2013 school year, we saw an overhaul in the education system of the Philippines. We went from the long-standing ten-year program to the 12-year K-12 program. Many people naturally reacted to this change with a range of emotions from acceptance to shock. That latter mostly comes from the fact that extra years means extra spending. Even in cases where the public school system shouldered the brunt of the expenses, there are still books, uniforms, and allowances to save up for.
PawnHero looks at two reasons why the implementation of the system is an overall advantage for the country, the challenges that come with it,  and how you can mitigate expenses.

1. A competitive edge

To say that Filipinos are competitive is an understatement. Just last year, a 15-year old student won a bronze medal at the 2015 International Sustainable World Energy, Engineering and Environment Project Olympiad for his innovative biodegradable plastic bag. That’s frankly a boon for anyone who’s had to lug around groceries in a paper bag.
So, the capability is definitely there. What the K-12 Program wants to leverage on is that more years of focused education can equip young Filipinos with both the know-how and discipline to achieve more on the global and local stage.

2. Global standardization

A question many people face daily is the importance of education in society—especially in the work area. It’s often a source of contention that the “bigger” schools like Ateneo, La Salle, UP, UST, and the like, make for better chances of landing a “good” job. But what is it about these schools that make them more favorable? In a word, it is conformity to the standards set internationally. With these standards comes the assumption of quality.
With the K-12 Education a globally accepted standard, a greater range of our local educational institutions stand to get better recognition and acceptance abroad. While it will take years for this recognition to take root and would require many positive experiences with the products of this system, it’s a step in the right direction.

The Big Challenges

No system is perfect and, as with any major changes, the K-12 Program is not without its detractors. Three problems, in particular, represent big challenges to widespread acceptance of the program:

1. Infrastructure: One of the biggest aspects of the education problem in the Philippines comes from the lack of infrastructure to support it. Where it does exist, it often ends up needing a lot of improvement and work. Adding, essentially, two more year levels brings in more students per school year. There’s some question whether some of our more overcrowded public schools can handle it.
2. Cost: There are two aspects to this problem. The first is national. Every election, education is one of those issues that form part of the platform for many candidates. It continues to be a sticking point especially for those who can’t afford it. That’s where it segues to the personal level. What was a financial challenge for many people becomes all the tougher with the addition of two years.
3. Source of funds: Lastly, knowing that the cost of education is somewhat more, the next problem becomes where to get funds from to pay for it. For many Filipinos, that source would be short-term cash loans. While these aren’t bad in themselves, they do tend to pile up when you’re unable to pay for them. Having several loans from several sources isn’t the way to go especially when you have education to consider.

PawnHero’s Way

PawnHero is the first online pawnshop in the Philippines. We aim to make the process of pawning streamlined and simple. This way, the process of acquiring a short-term loan is quicker for emergency needs as well as those pertaining to important expenses—like education. One reason this is preferable to other loans is because there never is a risk of getting trapped in a cycle of debt. You only bank on items you already own—from which we accept a wide range.
One of the things that make PawnHero a great option to meet your educational spending is our low 2.99 percent interest rates. It’s the lowest in the industry and will let you comfortably work up back to paying your loan and retrieving your item. If you’re facing a deluge of expenses this coming school year, give PawnHero a try.
Are you for or against the implementation of the K-12 program? Are you ready for the challenges that it brings? Share your thoughts! We’d be happy to hear from you.