FACT CHECK: PH not reverting to 4-year high school system, K to 12 still in effect

Claim: The Department of Education (DepEd) announced the return to the four-year high school system in the country, essentially scrapping the K to 12 program.

Rating: FALSE

Why we fact-checked this: The Facebook post, made by “Walang Pasok Advisory Updates,” has garnered 86 reactions, 102 comments, and 1,200 shares as of writing. The page itself also has a following of 1,500 followers.

The post claimed that after careful verification and planning, DepEd announced it would revert the basic education system to the old four-year high school curriculum. The post also used the department’s logo and that of the Commission on Higher Education, suggesting that the decision was supposedly made by the two education bodies.

The post also included a link to the alleged announcement.

Users online were quick to share their sentiments on the alleged decision, complaining that the K to 12 program, which added two years to basic education, was “ineffective,” “useless,” and just an additional expense for parents and guardians.

Some also expressed concerns about the transition back to the supposed four-year high school system, voicing worries about the status of students who are already midway through senior high school.

The facts: The K to 12 program is not abolished. Under the program, students undergo 12 years of basic education, which includes four years in junior high school (grades 7 to 10) and two years in senior high school (grades 11 to 12).

In November 2025, DepEd released an advisory debunking claims that Grades 11 and 12 will be abolished in the upcoming school year 2026-2027.

The department also called on social media users to be cautious in sharing information online and urged the public to follow their verified social media accounts for official announcements.

‘Decongested’ curriculum: The K to 12 program is mandated by law under Republic Act No. 10533 or the “Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013,” which aims to provide students with quality, globally competitive education that is on par with international standards.

Following calls to review the senior high school curriculum, DepEd announced the phased rollout of the “decongested” K to 12 program in January 2025, which reduces the core subjects for Grades 11 and 12 to just “5 to 7 important subjects.” (READ: What the revised K to 12 program will look like)

Earlier in 2023, DepEd launched the ‘Matatag’ K to 10 curriculum that reduces the number of learning areas for students to focus on foundational skills.

DepEd is currently rolling out the implementation in phases, with full implementation expected by 2028. (READ: New K-10 curriculum in the Philippines: What you need to know) 

Fake link: The alleged link providing details behind the education department’s supposed decision does not lead to a legitimate government website, but to a household product listing on an online shopping platform.

Some users were quick to flag the fake link in the post’s comment section and drew the attention of DepEd to the misleading post. (READ: Phishing 101: How to spot and avoid phishing)

Consistently debunked: This is not the first time that misleading posts about the changes in the K to 12 program have been made. Rappler has repeatedly debunked numerous circulating posts with similar claims made by various Facebook pages:

• FACT CHECK: K to 12 program still in effect for school year 2026-2027
• FACT CHECK: K to 12 program not abolished for school year 2026-2027
• FACT CHECK: No online survey on abolishing K to 12 program
• FACT CHECK: K to 12 program not abolished
• FACT CHECK: No law passed abolishing K-12 program

– Lourence Angelo Marcellana/Rappler.com

Lourence Angelo Marcellana is a volunteer. He is a fourth-year journalism student from the Polytechnic University of the Philippines and the former Editor-in-Chief of PUP College of Communication’s The Communicator.

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