34 Eastern Visayas schools to become pilot areas for revised SHS program

(File photo by NIÑO JESUS ORBETA / Philippine Daily Inquirer)

TACLOBAN CITY — About 34 public and private schools across Eastern Visayas have been identified as pilot sites of the revised senior high school program, according to the Department of Education (DepEd).

This was revealed by Ronilo Al Firmo, assistant regional director of DepEd Eastern Visayas, during a press conference on Tuesday, June 10, held at Leyte National High School in Tacloban City.

The school where the press conference was held is one of the designated pilot schools.

“For this school year, we have 34 public and private schools that have been identified as pilot schools for the implementation of the strengthened senior high school program,” Firmo said.

Of the 34 pilot schools, 30 are public schools and four are private schools.

These institutions are located in Baybay City and Ormoc City – five schools each; Eastern Samar and Northern Samar – four each; Biliran, Leyte and Catbalogan City – three each; Tacloban City and Calbayog City; Samar province – two each; and Borongan City – one school.

Under the revised senior high school program, students will now choose between two strands – the Academic Track and the Technical-Vocational Track, replacing the current four strands.

The four strands are STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics), ABM (Accountancy, Business and Management), GAS (General Academic Strand) and HUMSS (Humanities and Social Sciences).

“If a student wants to take the academic track, they will choose that specific track without the current distinction between STEM or HUMSS,” Firma said.

“If they want to pursue the technical-professional track, they will take technical-vocational courses,” he told reporters.

“All students will take the same general subjects, but they will differ in the electives they choose,” he noted.

“The selection of electives will be the students’ option, depending on their interest or chosen career path,” he added.

From the current 15 core subjects, the new program will reduce this number to five general subjects.

These subjects are Effective Communication, General Mathematics, General Science, Life and Career Skills and Study of History and Philippine Society.

DepEd said the revision of the senior high school program is aimed at making graduates ready for jobs and entrepreneurship.

It also seeks to prepare the students should they choose to pursue college./apl