ROXAS CITY, Capiz – The Department of Education here is ready to implement the K to 12 basic education program.

Capiz Schools Division Superintendent Eveleth Gamboa said they already started the conduct of a week-long mass training for Grade 1 teachers and school heads from both the public and private schools in the entire schools division here.

The first batch of trainees numbered 438 and who graduated last May 24 while the second batch, with 497 teachers and school heads, started their training last May 29 until June 2, she said.

Gamboa said the training focuses on the Mother Tongue-Based Multilingual Education (MTB-MLE) which is in consonance with the institutionalization of the Kindergarten education into the Basic Education System which start this June.

It also aims to provide teachers and school heads with a clear understanding of the role of Kindergarten in the K to 12 curriculum.

The MTB-MLE project is a continuation of the Lingua Franca Education Project launched in School Year 1999-2000 as mandated by then Department of Education, Culture and Sports (DECS) Memorandum No. 144, series of 1999.

"Through the mass training of our Grade I teachers, school heads from the public and private schools, we would be able to put in place and institutionalize the K to 12 program that will enhance the quality of basic education in the Philippines," Gamboa said.

Earlier, President Benigno S. Aquino III stressed that there is a need to add two years to the basic education to give school children an even chance at succeeding.

Starting this June, the K to 12 program of the DepEd requires that Kindergarten will be mandatory for 5 years old children with Primary education for Grades I to 6,Junior Education for Grades 7 to 10, and Senior High School will be Grades 11to 12.*PIA