Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 13) — A lawmaker has filed a bill to establish “meister schools” or specialized senior high schools that would provide training for highly-technical skills needed by manufacturing and other high-value industries.
Albay 2nd district Rep. Joey Salceda filed House Bill 6287 or the “Meister Schools Act” patterned from technical-vocational schools in Korea which produce “meisters” or master-craftsmen.
Salceda said Koreans who complete vocational high school are able to land a job immediately.
“In the first two years of implementation, the employment rate of vocational high school graduates increased from 19% in 2010 to 42% in 2012. Imagine, as a tech-voc graduate, you can work first, and decide to go to college later if you think it’s for you,” said the lawmaker in a statement.
He added, “But income-wise, you don’t have to go to college anymore.”
Under the K-12 system, a technical-vocational strand is already offered in some schools. However, Salceda said vocational programs are not attractive.
“Napakababa kasi ng tingin ng maraming Pilipino sa tech-voc graduates. But I would rather that we have a large base of highly-skilled, highly-hireable techvoc graduates without college degrees than give out so many college degrees that are functionally useless as far as our skills gap is concerned,” he said.
The bill states business and industry shall provide equipment, facilities, scholarships, mentoring, training, and jobs for students of meister schools.
The specialized schools will be free of tuition and other fees.
