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| Department of Education: Dr. Peter Laurel's clan owns Lyceum of the Philippines University where Duterte graduated from college with a degree in political science. He is currently president of the university's Batangas and and Laguna campuses. (Lyceum Facebook Page) |
BATANGAS - Lyceum of the Philippines University (LPU) President Peter Laurel has expressed his full support to the K to 12 program, and said he was still weighing whether to accept presumptive president Rodrigo Duterte's offer to be the education secretary of his administration.
"Hindi ko pa nakausap si President Duterte. I'm studying it and consulting my family and loved ones," he said in a phone interview.
Expressing his personal view, Laurel said he supports the reform program but added that he still needs to confer with the incoming president, who has misgivings about K to 12.
Laurel also referred to K to 12 as one of the biggest reforms in the history of education since the establishment of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and the Department of Education (DepEd).
"Tayo lang sa buong Asya ang hindi 12-year basic education cycle. We're the last in Asia. In the world, I think Angola including the Philippines still remain in the 10-year program. I think we have to be more internationally competitive," he said.
Laurel said that while there may be certain problems with respect to the program's curriculum and budget, he believes K to 12 "is a reform agenda that needs to be done."
"I understand there are issues that people would like to look at, and I think the mandate of the incoming president will be coming with some fresh perspective, drawing the lessons from the past so we can march on to the future," Laurel said.
He gave the DepEd Secretary Bro. Armin Luistro's administration a high score in managing the biggest bureaucracy in government, saying Luistro "did very well."
"But on the whole, I think the reform agenda of Bro. Armin has been a strong one. They've done a lot of work and still a lot of things that needs to be done,” Laurel added.
Peter, a former vice-governor of Batangas, is the fourth son of former Senator Sotero Laurel. He is the head of LPU's Batangas and Laguna campuses while his brother Roberto, runs LPU's campuses in Manila, Makati and Cavite.
Duterte took his bachelor's degree at LPU where Communist Party of the Philippines founder Jose Maria Sison was his professor.
Last Tuesday, militant youth groups urged Duterte to scrap the K to 12 program.
Duterte, meanwhile, asked for a month to review the program.
In a press conference in Davao City on May 16, Duterte said he would consult Laurel on his take on the K to 12 education program.
The presumptive president admitted that he was not sold on the concept of adding two more years of schooling but will listen to Laurel on whatever his recommendations will be.
SOURCE: ABS-CBN NEWS