PNoy Launches K + 12 Program

MANILA, Philippines - President Benigno S. Aquino III Tuesday led the launch of the K + 12Basic Education Program of the Department of Education (DepEd), which would add two years to the country's basic education and increase capabilities among students who would opt to work after graduating from high school.

This, he said, is part of his administration's efforts to reform the system of education in the country.

Aquino said that instead of compressing students' learning in a 10-year basic education, the new program would enable students to further appreciate what they have learned with an additional two years of education.

Also Tuesday, public school teachers asked President Aquino to "put more funds" to the K + 12 Program of the Department of Education (DepEd) "to ensure that there is enough funds to properly implement the program."

The K +12 begins with kindergarten, six years of elementary education, four years of junior high school, and two years in senior high school. It will be implemented in all public elementary and high schools nationwide this coming school year.

According to Aquino, the Philippines used to be the only country in Asia and one of the three countries in the world left with 10 years of basic education. The other two are in Africa.

"We want a stronger foundation for the next generation," he said in Filipino.

The President, meanwhile, said he is mulling a tablet-based education as a solution against textbook scams.

"We want our reading materials to be tablet-based so that when errors are found, it would be easier to correct and there would be no need to recall the textbooks," Aquino said.

"We're just waiting for the prices to go down," he said.

"We are making ways to ensure that it is logged in the system so it would not be a source of corruption," he added.

This, he said, will be part of the DepEd's P238.8-billion budget for 2012.

DepEd Secretary Armin Luistro, for his part, said there are enough textbooks and school furniture for the coming school year.

"We have zero back log in textbooks and school furniture for School Year (SY) 2012 to 2013," Luistro said.

It was recalled that in February, President Aquino signed Republic Act (RA) 10157 or the Kindergarten Education Law, which provides free and compulsory kindergarten education beginning school year 2012 to 2013. Under the this law, children aged five will be required to take up a year in Kindergarten in preparation for entry to Grade 1.

The Teachers' Dignity Coalition (TDC) made the appeal for more funds for public school teachers after the K + 12 Program's launching in Malacañang.

TDC national spokesman Benjo Basas said teachers continue to express apprehension on the K to 12 program of the Aquino government, saying the "system would need enough funds to properly implement the program."

"K to 12 is the flagship program of (the Aquino) administration," Basas said. "Therefore, the education sector should be given the funds it needs to successfully implement this program," he added.

Basas said their group continues to be wary of the program, challenging the administration to first resolve the existing problems of the education sector particularly the shortages in much needed resources.

While the DepEd is doing everything to close the gaps - including solicitation from private donors, partnership with LGUs and indirect contributions from parents and students like in Brigada Eskwela - Basas said "these small measures would not be enough considering the ever-growing necessities of public education sector."

He said the national government, "specifically the President should make the first move and put the education budget in his priorities."

Meanwhile, Education Secretary Armin Luistro said the DepEd is continuing to address the shortages in education resources like textbooks, teachers, classrooms, toilets, and desks.

He also reported that by June, DepEd will be able to achieve a 1:1 student to textbook ratio, thereby achieving a zero backlog in textbooks. "We have also procured over 1 million school seats so when classes open in June, we would have closed two out of the five input gaps haunting the public school system," he said.

Luistro also called for stakeholders to work together to achieve the collective goal of providing "adequate and equal opportunities for every Filipino youth to have a decent and honorable way of living."

Sen. Edgardo J. Angara reiterated that the proposed K + 12 Program - and the wholesale changes aimed at strengthening our educational system - is not only timely, but long overdue.

"The call for educational reforms was sounded off three decades ago, back when I chaired the Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM) which recommended the trifocalization of the system into the Department of Education (DepEd), Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA)," Angara said in a statement.

He expressed elation now that through the resolve of the DepEd, "we will finally start delivering world-class education to a larger number of Filipinos at relatively no cost to them." (With reports from Ina Hernando Malipot and Rolly T. Carandang)

Read more »

EXCLUSIVE - North Korea's nuclear test ready "soon"

BEIJING (Reuters) - North Korea has almost completed preparations for a third nuclear test, a senior source with close ties toPyongyang and Beijing said, an act that would draw further international condemnation following a failed rocket launch.

The isolated and impoverished state sacrificed the chance of closer ties with the United States when it launched the long-range rocket on April 13 and was censured by the U.N. Security Council, which includes the North's sole major ally, China.

Critics say the rocket launch was aimed at honing the North's ability to develop an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of hitting the United States, a move that would dramatically increase its military and diplomatic heft.

Now the North appears to be about to carry out a third nuclear test after two in 2006 and 2009.

"Soon. Preparations are almost complete," the source told Reuters when asked whether North Korea was planning to conduct a nuclear test.

This is the first time a senior official has confirmed the planned test and the source has correctly predicted events in the past, telling Reuters about the 2006 test days before it happened.

The rocket launch and nuclear test come as Kim Jong-un, the third of his line to rule North Korea, seeks to cement his grip on power.

For graphic on North Korea's expected nuclear test: click http://reut.rs/JSTIr7

Kim took office in December and has lauded the country's military might, reaffirming his father's "military first" policies that have stunted economic development and appearing to dash slim hopes of an opening to the outside world.

Washington, Seoul and Tokyo, which have most to fear from any North Korean nuclear threat, are watching events anxiously and many observers say that Pyongyang may have the capacity to conduct a test using highly enriched uranium for the first time.

U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, speaking to reporters during a trip to Brasilia, said he had no specific information on whether North Korea would go ahead with a test.

"But I again would strongly urge them not to engage in any kind of provocation - be it nuclear testing or any other act - that would provide greater instability in a dangerous part of the world," he said.

Defense experts say that by successfully enriching uranium, to make bombs of the type dropped on Hiroshima nearly 70 years ago, the North would be able to significantly build up stocks of weapons-grade nuclear material.

It would also allow it more easily to manufacture a nuclear warhead to mount on a long-range missile.

The source did not specify whether the test would be a third test using plutonium, of which it has limited stocks, or whether Pyongyang would use uranium.

South Korean defense sources have been quoted in domestic media as saying a launch could come within two weeks and one North Korea analyst has suggested that it could come as early as the North's "Army Day" on Wednesday.

Other observers say that any date is pure speculation.

The rocket launch and the planned nuclear test have exposed the limits of China's hold over Pyongyang. Beijing is the North's sole major ally and props up the state with investment and fuel.

"China is like a chameleon toward North Korea," said Kim Young-soo, professor of political science at Sogang University in Seoul. "It says it objects to North Korea's provocative acts, but it does not participate in punishing the North."

Reports have suggested that a Chinese company may have supplied a rocket launcher shown off at a military parade to mark this month's centenary of the birth of Kim Il-sung, the state's founder, something that may be in breach of UN sanctions.

China has denied breaching sanctions.

YOUNGEST KIM STILL IN CHARGE DESPITE ROCKET FIASCO

The source said there was debate in North Korea's top leadership over whether to go ahead with the launch in the face of U.S. warnings and the possibility of further U.N. sanctions, but that hawks in the Korean People's Army had won the debate.

The source dismissed speculation that the failed launch had dealt a blow to Kim Jong-un, believed to be in his late 20s, who came to power after his father Kim Jong-il died following a 17-year rule that saw North Korea experience a famine in the 1990s.

"Kim Jong-un was named first secretary of the (ruling) Workers' Party and head of the National Defense Commission," the source said, adding that the titles further consolidated his grip on power.

North Korean media has recently upped its criticism of South Korean President Lee Myung-bak, who cut off aid to Pyongyang when he took power in 2008, calling him a "rat" and a "bastard" and threatening to turn the South Korean capital to ashes.

Pyongyang desperately wants recognition from the United States, the guarantor of the South's security. It claims sovereignty over the entire Korean peninsula, as does South Korea.

"North Korea may consider abandoning (the test) if the United States agrees to a peace treaty," the source said, reiterating a long-standing demand by Pyongyang for recognition by Washington and a treaty to end the 1950-1953 Korean War, which ended in a truce.

(Additional reporting by Ju-min Park; Writing by David Chance; Editing by Nick Macfie and David Storey)

Read more »

PH named World's 2nd slowest in Web page loading

When it comes to surfing the Internet, Filipinos may have to be extra patient.

This, as the Philippines was listed among the slowest countries in the world for loading Web pages on a desktop computer, according to a study from the Internet giant Google.

The Philippines, with an average Web page loading speed on desktops of 15.4 seconds, was named the world’s second slowest behind Indonesia’s 20.3 seconds, said a Bloomberg report which cited Google's study .

The Slovak Republic meanwhile has the fastest average time with 3.3 seconds, the report showed.

South Korea, the second fastest in desktop speeds, was also the zippiest in loading Web pages using mobile devices with an average loading time of 4.8 seconds while the slowest country in mobile was United Arab Emirates with 26.7 seconds, it added.

Here’s the complete list of the top and bottom 10 countries both in desktop and mobile speeds for loading Web pages according to Google:

Top 10 in Desktop Speeds (in seconds)
Slovak Republic (3.3)
South Korea (3.5)
Czech Republic (3.7)
Netherlands (3.9)
Japan (4)
Denmark (4.3)
Switzerland (4.3)
Sweden (4.5)
Belgium (4.6)
Norway (4.8)

Bottom 10 in Desktop Speeds (in seconds)
Chile (10)
Colombia (10.2)
Peru (11.7)
Brazil (11.8)
Argentina (12.8)
Malaysia (14.3)
Venezuela (14.9)
India (15.1)
Philippines (15.4)
Indonesia (20.3)

Top 10 in Mobile Speeds (in seconds)
South Korea (4.8)
Denmark (5.2)
Hong Kong (5.9)
Norway (6)
Sweden (6.1)
Estonia (6.2)
Czech Republic (6.3)
Japan (6.4)
Romania (7.5)
Slovak Republic (7.6)

Bottom 10 in Mobile Speeds (in seconds)
Malaysia (12.7)
Indonesia (12.9)
Singapore (12.9)
Mexico (14.1)
Brazil (15.8)
Argentina (16.3)
India (16.4)
Thailand (17.4)
Saudi Arabia (21.2)
United Arab Emirates (26.7)

Bloomberg said Google measured Web page load speeds on desktop computers and mobile devices in 50 countries with the fastest Internet connections earlier this month.

The report noted that the United States was somewhere in the middle. “On the desktop, it took an average of 5.7 seconds. On a mobile device it took 9.2 seconds to load, which for many folks here, feels like an eternity,” it said.

Read more »