TO ADDRESS the problem of employability of K-12 graduates, Ang Probinsyano Partylist Rep. Alfred Delos Santos has filed a bill that seeks to amend the K-12 law.

House Bill 7082 or the proposed Education to Employment Act of 2020 aims to replace senior high school with an associate’s degree program.

Delos Santos said that years after the passing of the K-12 program, many graduates still found it difficult to land jobs because the education, training and diploma that they acquire is only for high school.

The lawmaker explained that most employers still require job applicants to have at least two years of undergraduate studies or a college diploma for entry-level positions.

“Thus, the mismatch between the graduates’ qualifications and the qualifications for available jobs remain to be the problem,” he said in his explanatory note.

House Bill 7082 will amend Republic Act 10533 otherwise known as the Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013 or K-12 program.

From the usual six years of elementary education, four years in junior high school and two years in senior high school, the bill will revert to the pre-K-12 high school curriculum and will replace senior high school with an associate’s degree program.

The degree program shall include a comprehensive education and intensive skills training that will equip the graduates with necessary knowledge and skills on fields with a high demand for workers as determined by the Department of Labor and Employment.