Marcos wants DepEd, Tesda to work closely on TVET, SHS curriculum

Grade 11 students taking the technical-vocational-livelihood track under the K-12 curriculum are introduced to the subject of automotive servicing, in this photo taken on June 13, 2016, at Parañaque National High School in Parañaque City. (File photo by RICHARD A. REYES / Philippine Daily Inquirer)

MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Tuesday said he wants technical and vocational education and training (TVET) to further match with the senior high school (SHS) curriculum.

Marcos said this as he met with Vice President Sara Duterte, who concurrently heads the Department of Education (DepEd), and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda) Secretary Suharto Mangudadatu in Malacañan Palace.

“What the President had instructed the Tesda Secretary General Secretary Suharto Mangudadatu is for him to work closely with DepEd and harmonize yung curriculum ng TVET as well as the senior high,” said Tesda Deputy Director General for Policies and Planning Rosanna Urdaneta in a Palace briefing.

According to Urdaneta, Tesda is studying DepEd’s curriculum to contextualize its content further.

READ: Marcos: Gov’t to continue upskilling, reskilling Filipino workers

“Tesda is looking into that, and we are adding or integrating skills development in the curriculum,” Urdaneta said in Filipino.

However, the DepEd had recently revamped the country’s basic education curriculum to decongest it.

READ: DepEd starts training teachers on ‘Matatag’ curriculum

Mangudadatu explained that there is further focus on other areas such as robotics, semiconductors, electronics, and more.

“We are now focusing on technologies, the jobs for the future,” Mangudadatu said.

The Tesda secretary reiterated, however, that there would be no overhaul.