Solon on SHS programs’ closure in universities, colleges: ‘Is this a prank?’

Kabataan Partylist Representative Raoul Manuel (File photo from his Facebook account)

MANILA, Philippines — At least two House lawmakers questioned the decision of education officials to stop senior high school (SHS) programs in state universities and colleges (SUCs) and in local universities and colleges (LUCs).

They are dismayed because students have already enrolled.

Kabataan Party-list Representative Raoul Manuel on Thursday said it seems like SHS students were tricked.

He said first, SHS students were enrolled by the universities and colleges.

Then, Commission on Higher Education (CHED) suddenly ordered the termination of the SHS programs.

“Hinayaan lang ng DepEd (Department of Education) at CHED na mag-enroll ang nasa 18,000 students sa senior high school ng SUCs at LUCs,” Manuel said.

(DepEd and CHED just allowed around 18,000 students to enroll in senior high school programs of SUCs at LUCs.)

“Tapos, eventually, ipapatigil ang senior high school program nila at papalipatin ng school bago maka-graduate,” he observed.

(Then, eventually, their SHS programs would be stopped, and they would be made to transfer to other schools before graduation.)

“Ano ito, prank?” the lawmaker asked in disbelief.

(Is this a prank?)

For her part, ACT Teachers Party-list Representative France Castro said DepEd and CHED should have first consulted the people who will be affected by the change, before deciding on the matter.

She believes the action of CHED will force students to hunt for public schools that will hopefully accept them into the program.

CHED had maintained SUCs and LUCs are only mandated to provide SHS programs during the transition period for the K-12 program.

“Sana nagkaroon ng konsultasyon sa mga students, parents and teachers kasi apektado sila dito,” she lamented.

(I wish there were consultations with students, parents, and teachers because they are affected.)

Castro explained the importance of advance planning.

“Sa mga estudyante at magulang – kasi mawawalan sila ng ayuda at makikipagsiksikan sa mga public high schools,” she said.

(For students and parents – because they will lose their subsidies and they will experience overcrowding with other students in public high schools.)

“Sa mga teachers din – na maaring in limbo ang kanilang load at trabaho dahil dito,” she noted.

(And also the teachers – their load and jobs may be in limbo as a result of this.)

“Sa sinasabi ng DepEd at CHED na dapat na limang taon lang ang programang ito ay dapat na lalo nilang napaghandaan ang konsultasyon para dito,” Castro said.

(With what DepEd at CHED had stated that the program should be running for five years only, they should have prepared better for the consultations.)

“Hindi yung bigla na lang na maglalabas na lang agad ng memo na libu-libo ang apektado,” she pointed out.

(They should not abruptly release a memorandum that will affect thousands of students.)

CHED on Tuesday confirmed it would stop giving SHS programs in SUCs and LUCs.

CHED Chairperson Prospero De Vera III said the involvement of state and local universities and colleges in SHS programs are limited to the K-12 transition period.

The timeframe covered for this project was from school year 2020 to 2021 only.