The K to 12 Basic Education Program of the Department of Education has increased public approval rating based on latest survey of Social Weather Stations (SWS).

In a survey conducted from August 24-27, results showed growing acceptability of the key features of the reform program compared to survey results in March 2012 and earlier.

72% of Filipino adults believe that K to 12 will give students more sufficient knowledge and preparation for work and college compared to those who finished 10 years of basic education, garnering a net rating of +48, up from +35 last March.

The percentage of Filipinos who believe that more students will be encouraged to finish Senior High School (SHS) in the K to 12 Basic Education Program because it is equivalent to two years of college showed a ten-point increase with 69%, a significant increase from 59% in March, with a net rating of +41.

Moreover, results showed that 68% of Filipinos with a net rating of +39 believe that more students will finish SHS even with the additional cost and number of years because K to 12 graduates will be better prepared for work, higher education, and business.

K to 12 prescribes an enhanced basic education program that covers one year of Kindergarten education, 6 years of elementary education, and 6 years of secondary education consisting of 4 years of Junior High School and two years Senior High School. K to 12 graduates will be equipped with middle-level skills, readiness for higher education, and readiness for livelihood, may it be employment or entrepreneurship.

Looking at the complementary aspects of providing access to quality and equitable education for all Filipinos, the same survey revealed that 72% of the respondents agree that DepEd will be able to improve the quality of teachers while 7 out of 10 say DepEd will be able to address classroom shortages.

Overall, public satisfaction with DepEd increased by 12 points while awareness of Education Secretary Br. Armin A. Luistro FSC was at a record high of 90%.

The Third Quarter 2012 Social Weather Report was conducted nationwide with 1,200 respondents representing all economic classes, and a balance across genders, age groups, and locale (urban and rural).