CHED, DepEd told to ensure smooth transition of SHS students

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 4) — Lawmakers on Thursday called on education authorities to ensure that thousands of affected students would not be left out because of the phaseout of senior high programs in state and local universities.

According to Sen. Win Gatchalian, about 17,700 Grade 11 learners would be forced to change schools because of this development.

READ: CHED halts SHS program in SUCs, LCUs

READ: Students may transfer to basic education schools as SUCs stop senior high program – DepEd

The senator, along with colleagues Grace Poe and Chiz Escudero, urged the Department of Education (DepEd) and the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) to closely cooperate in guiding affected students in transferring to public or private schools, where they can also tap the voucher program.

“Hindi sila dapat gumastos ng malaki sa tuition o mapwersang hindi na mag-aral dahil walang pangtustos ang pamilya,” Poe said in a statement.

[Translation: They should not spend more on tuition, or be forced to abandon their schooling because their family can’t finance their education.]

“The SHS program should hold its promise of employability and more competitive graduates, not as burden to Filipino learners,” she added.

While CHED’s move has legal basis, Escudero—who chairs the Committee on Higher, Technical and Vocational Education—said it is crucial that “no students will be left behind.”

The agencies also need to evaluate if public schools across the country have the capacity to accommodate the affected learners, Poe said.

Gatchalian called on DepEd and CHED to likewise provide assistance to teaching and non-teaching personnel who may lose their jobs.

Meanwhile, Kabataan Party-list Rep. Raoul Manuel criticized DepEd and CHED for “allowing” the students to enroll in senior high school programs.

“Tapos eventually ipapatigil ang senior high school program nila at papalipatin ng school bago maka-graduate. Ano ito, prank?” he said.

[Translation: Then eventually they would suspend the senior high school program, and ask students to transfer before they graduate. Is this a prank?]

Groups call for extended K-12 transition period

Meanwhile, the Teacher’s Dignity Coalition (TDC) and the Samahan ng Progresibong Kabataan (SPARK) urged the government to extend the K-12 transition period, believing this will help ensure senior high schools have the capacity to absorb all affected learners and the quality of education they receive does not decline.

“Further, families are relieved of the additional costs of transferring schools such as fare, uniforms, and processing of documents,” read their joint statement.

The government must also guarantee that instructors and teachers will not lose their jobs and work-related benefits due to the discontinuation of the SHS program in higher education institutions, the groups said.

TDC and SPARK added that DepEd must get rid of “diploma mills and fly-by-night schools” which they said have sprouted since the start of the K-12 curriculum.

In response to these calls, De Vera said CHED is ready to meet with stakeholders to ensure no student will be displaced by the developments.

He also noted that the CHED memo directs heads of the higher education institutions to take up the matter with their boards of regents or boards of trustees so that appropriate action can be taken.

Once problems are identified, they should be brought up to the commission, De Vera said.

“So far, the SUCs/LUCs (state universities and colleges/local universities and colleges) that have closed their senior high classes, some as early as 2019, have not encountered problems and no restriction of access to education has been reported to CHED,” he added.