FACT CHECK: Senior high school has not been replaced with mandatory military service 

The claim: Grades 11 and 12 in the K to 12 curriculum will be abolished and replaced with mandatory military service.

A YouTube video says in Filipino that the two additional years for senior high school will be replaced by two-year military service, as announced by Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte.

Rating: FALSE

Why we fact-checked this: The claim was made in a YouTube video that has 8,600 views and 321 likes as of writing.

The bottom line: The Department of Education (DepEd) completed the review of the revised K-10 curriculum last April, while the review of the curriculum for Grades 11 and 12 is still ongoing.

The department has not made any announcements on their official Facebook page and website that Grades 11 and 12 will be abolished and replaced by mandatory military service.

The video uses a clip of Duterte’s speech in Koronadal City last January, but the Vice President does not mention the removal of K to 12. VERA Files has also debunked a similar claim. 

Review ongoing: In 2018, former education secretary Leonor Briones initiated a review of the K to 12 program to decongest the curriculum and address gaps in learning competencies.

According to the Manila Bulletin, the revised K to 12 curriculum will focus on developing students’ foundation skills. New features of the revised curriculum will include the reintroduction of SiKaP (Sibika, Kultura, Kasaysayan, at Kagalingang Pangkatawan), among others.

Mandatory military service: There have been proposals to make military service mandatory for senior high school students through the Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) program.

According to an April 11 Manila Bulletin report, the bill for the enactment of mandatory ROTC is set to be debated in the Senate on May 8, 2023.

More from Rappler: In 2023, Rappler published multiple fact checks debunking claims surrounding the abolition of the K-12 program: 

1. FACT CHECK: No law passed abolishing K to 12 program – published on February 22, 2023
2. FACT CHECK: Sara Duterte didn’t say K to 12 was abolished in DepEd’s 2023 report – published on April 5, 2023
3. FACT CHECK: Wala pang revised K to 12 curriculum; hindi ipapalit sa senior high ang military service – January 13, 2023 

For official announcements regarding education and the K to 12 curriculum, visit the official Facebook page and website of the Department of Education. – Katarina Ruflo/Rappler.com

Katarina Ruflo is a graduate of Rappler’s fact-checking mentorship program. This fact check was reviewed by a member of Rappler’s research team and a senior editor. Learn more about Rappler’s fact-checking mentorship program here.

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