DepEd: 5,800 schools to offer senior HS or grades 11, 12

The Department of Education (DepEd) on Tuesday said it had identified at least 5,800 schools nationwide that would offer senior high school (SHS) levels, or grades 11 and 12, in its efforts to fully implement the government’s education program known as K-to-12.

In a statement, DepEd said that it considered various factors such as “availability of buildable space and school sites, community realities, local development plans, parents’ and students’ preferences, and current and future needs of local industries” in determining the schools which would offer SHS programs.

The education department said that it had collaborated with various sectors such as lawmakers, local chief executives and civil service organizations in identifying the said schools.

Education Secretary Br. Armin Luistro FSC assured that every municipality would have SHS levels.

“Wala pong munisipyo, kahit gaano kaliit, ang mawawalan ng senior high school (No municipality, no matter how small, will be without senior high school),” Luistro said.

He also said that both public and private educational institutions would offer the program.

“This has been mapped all the way to the program offerings until the maximum number of students that can be accommodated—not only in the DepEd schools but also in the private schools, higher educational institutions (HEIs) and state universities and colleges (SUCs),” Luistro added.

Republic Act No. 10533 or the Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013 institutionalizes the K-to-12 program which adds two more years in the current basic education curriculum.

The additional two years, which will constitute the SHS, is said to “ensure that basic education graduates are equipped and ready for employment, entrepreneurship, or higher learning, further education and training.”

First entrants to the SHS program will be students of grade 11 in school year 2016-2017.

Students under the SHS program can choose three tracks: The technical-vocational-livelihood track; the sports and arts track, or the academic track.

In the academic track, students can choose one of any three strands: business, accountancy, management; humanities, education, social sciences; and science, technology, engineering, mathematics. RC