1.3M students join senior high; fears unfounded, DepEd claims

The latest enrollment figures in the senior high school (SHS) program show that initial fears of a significant drop in the number of students continuing the additional two years of basic schooling may have been unfounded, an official of the Department of Education (DepEd) said on Tuesday.

So far, 1.3 million students are attending the SHS program, which adds two more years to basic schooling, in more than 10,000 schools nationwide, according to DepEd records. The number is already about 90 percent of the total number of SHS enrollees anticipated for the first year of its implementation and this is expected to rise when other state colleges and universities and private institutions offering senior high school open classes in July and August.

Around 1.5 million students finished Grade 10 for school year 2015-2016.

Assistant Secretary Jesus Mateo on Tuesday noted the online enrollment record of 1,300,938 students currently attending the SHS program already surpassed the usual rate of high school graduates entering college.

“If you look at the historical data of 4th year students going to college prior to K-12 program, only 50 percent of those who completed [high school] eventually go to college,” Mateo added in a phone interview.

Mateo said  the data showed that the fears raised by groups opposed to the K-12 program were “unfounded.”

“They (critics) said many students would not be able to continue their schooling but the data shows they are continuing,” he said, noting that those who completed Grade 10 or 4th year high school in 2015 or earlier were going back to study.

Groups against the K-12 program argued that the SHS program was a “great burden” for students and their families. They said poor families would have to save at least 39 percent of their income or P113 a day to send their children to SHS.

DepEd officials countered that the SHS program should be considered an investment, which would equip students with knowledge and skills that will better prepare them for their chosen career.

Under the SHS program, a student will take 15 core subjects, seven applied and nine specialized track subjects in academics, sports, arts and technical-vocational fields.