CHAPTER 125: CHAPTER 125: INTERPELLATION 2

After the instructions were given, the two faced each other. Michael, still holding his notes, glanced down at them.

He had prepared some questions specifically for this moment.

Luckily, while listening to her speech, he realized that one of the questions he had come up with matched perfectly with what she had said.

He looked up at Kim, who was staring at him with full confidence.

For a moment, he felt slightly troubled. But shaking his head, he forced himself to focus.

"Yes or no, do you agree that students need to be more prepared before entering college or the workforce?" Michael asked clearly.

Kim did not hesitate as she responded with a big.

"Yes,"

Michael gave a small nod, then followed up with his next question.

"Then if that’s the case, how do you suggest we prepare students better without the extended years that K to 12 provides? Wouldn’t removing it just bring us back to the rushed system we had before?"

Kim didn’t even flinch. She simply smiled, clearly expecting this kind of question.

She had studied day and night for this moment, preparing for every possible angle.

Even if the question had come as a surprise, she was more than ready to handle it.

"I’m glad you brought that up," she responded respectfully.

"Actually, studies have shown that longer school years don’t always equal better learning," she said confidently, glancing briefly at her palm as if recalling a key statistic.

"In fact, some countries with shorter basic education programs still outperform us in global rankings. For example, Finland."

Kim glanced at Michael with a devious smile, then turned to face the class.

"Just based on this stat, instead of just adding years, we should focus on fixing what’s already inside the system. better teacher training, updated materials, more support services. Students can be just as ready in ten years if the time is used well. So it’s not about how long, it’s about how effective it is."

Hearing her answer, Teacher Annie smiled with satisfaction. It was a well-delivered and thoughtful response.

Michael glanced down at his notes and quickly realized that his prepared follow-up question no longer connected with what Kim had just said.

So, without hesitation, he decided to improvise a bit.

"So based on stats, and also just a follow-up. What specific study or source are you referring to when you mentioned Finland? And how exactly is their system comparable to ours here in the Philippines?"

Hearing the follow-up question, Kim could not help but let out a small laugh. This was exactly what she had been waiting for.

To her, Michael was just handing her more bullets, and that thought made her smile with confidence.

"According to the 2018 PISA rankings by the OECD, Finland ranked among the top countries in reading, math, and science, even though their basic education system only lasts for 9 years. Compared to us, that’s much shorter, yet they still outperform."

She shifted her stance slightly, "This shows that length alone isn’t what guarantees quality. It’s the teaching methods, student support, and curriculum design. If they can do it without adding extra years, then maybe we can too, if we improve the system instead of stretching it."

"Kim seems to have a good point," some of the boys said quietly among themselves.

A few of them nodded in agreement from what he had said.

Because it made sense if the shorter systems worked in other countries, then why not apply something similar to their own?

Michael, having run out of his harder questions, glanced at the time and saw that only 1 minute and 3 seconds remained.

Deciding to go all in, he chose to bombard her with quick questions hoping she might slip up before time ran out.

"So would you say most students feel pressured because of overlapping requirements?" Michael asked, keeping his tone sharp and steady.

"Yes, definitely. Projects, reports, and activities often pile up. I’ve experienced it myself, and so have many others."

"Do you think students who are financially struggling are more likely to drop out under K to 12?" Michael asked.

Even though it was not a hard question, it was enough to keep the momentum going.

"Yes. In fact, DepEd itself reported dropout rates rising in senior high due to financial burden. Not every family can support two extra years of school," Kim replied smoothly.

"Then would you agree that improving what’s inside the 10-year system might be better than adding more years without solving those core issues?" Michael asked.

"Exactly," she replied smoothly.

"We should focus on quality, not just quantity. More years don’t fix bad teaching or poor facilities. If we fix the..."

After answering the question, Kim did not budge or stumble. She stood firm, calm, and composed.

Compared to Celeste, who had slipped earlier under pressure, Kim was clearly holding her ground much better.

Celeste, watching from her seat, let out an arrogant huff.

"Hmph. I could’ve answered that too," she muttered to herself, clearly annoyed. "And I would’ve done it even better."

Even though Kim was on her team, Celeste showed no delight on her face at all.

Her pride kept her from giving any reaction of approval. Finally, a phone alarm went off, signaling that the designated time had ended.

Teacher Annie looked at both sides and calmly announced, "That concludes the interpellation for the second speakers."

"Removal side, you are now given two minutes to ask your questions. You may also ask follow-up questions based on the responses," she announced firmly.

"Now that it’s my turn, you better prepare yourself, Michael," Celeste said inwardly with a smile.

Seeing that smile from her, Michael felt a chill and swallowed a mouthful of saliva. This was bad.

They were not really enemies, in fact, the two were friends. But right now, in this debate, friendship had to wait.

"So I want to ask is that if students really remember lessons better under K to 12, then why do many still struggle with applying what they learn in real life?"

Michael paused for a moment to think, completely different from Kim, who had answered immediately the moment a question was asked.

He was carefully considering his words, knowing that one misstep could be used against him.

"Well I think that depends on the teacher and the school. Not all students might retain everything, but the system gives more chances for deeper learning, especially in strands like STEM and HUMSS."

Kim nodded slightly, with a knowing look, "Then do you think the added years are worth it if some schools don’t even have the right equipment for things like research and work immersion?"

"Uh maybe not in all schools. But I think the goal is to reach that level. Even if some aren’t there yet, the curriculum was made to push us in that direction."

Hearing his answer, Kim stepped forward slightly, her voice razor sharp.

"So you’re saying even if the quality isn’t equal, we should still keep the program?" she asked, eyes locked on him, pressing for a clear stance.

"I mean yeah, because removing it won’t solve that problem either. At least now there’s a structure in place to improve things."

Kim crossed her arms, glancing sideways at the classmates.

"Okay. But do you admit that many students are still confused about what track to take or feel lost even after finishing senior high?"

Michael scratched his head a little, choosing his words carefully.

"That’s true, I’ve seen that too and even experienced it. But I think it’s more of a guidance issue, not the system’s fault. If students got the right advice, the tracks would make more sense," Michael replied, trying to stay composed under her sharp gaze.

"If the results still vary that much from school to school, can we really say K to 12 is already working?"

Michael took a deep breath and nodded slowly after thinking for some time.

"Not perfectly, no... but I believe it’s starting to work. It’s not instant. It’s a long-term investment."

"Michael did okay, but compared to Andre, it seems like Andre is much better," Jeff said as he quietly compared the two.

"But still, it was good. He didn’t crack under pressure, and he stayed on message. The foundation that Andre built at the beginning is still standing," he added with a thoughtful nod.

"I’ll admit though, Kim’s questions were sharp, but not sharp enough for what’s coming next," Jeff muttered, licking his lips with a confident smile.

"Even though she chipped away at our advantage, the crowd sees this as more balanced now. We’ll need to pull ahead again in the rebuttal," Jeff thought calmly, eyes focused on what was ahead.

(Author’s Note: [Crowd] refers to his classmates and Teacher Annie)

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