Alarm raised over discontinuance of SHS program in SUCs and LUCs

A GROUP of youths and teachers yesterday raised the alarm that the Senior High School (SHS) program in State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) and Local Universities and Colleges (LUCs), if discontinued, will threaten learners’ rights to accessible and quality education.

In a joint statement, the Teachers Dignity Coalition (TDC) and the Samahan ng Progresibong Kabataan (SPARK) said that haphazardly discontinuing the SHS program without guaranteeing improved access and quality of the education system will lead to economic displacement for teachers.

“While we understand that SUCs and LUCs are mandated to offer the SHS program only during the K-12 transition period, we fear that mechanically following suit without serious consideration of the drawbacks on education stakeholders will lead to another learning crisis leaving 17,700 students affected by dislocation and hundreds of thousands more by imminent congestion,” the TDC and SPARK said, referring to the number of Grade 11 students still enrolled in SUCs and LUCs this school year.

Both groups urged the Commission on Higher Education and the Department of Education to extend the K-12 transition period, taking into account the time and resources needed to ensure that senior high schools, both public and private, can absorb all learners affected by the discontinuation of the SHS program with a sufficient number of instructors, classrooms and other relevant facilities such as laboratories and libraries, among others, to avoid congestion.

“Further, families are relieved of the additional costs of transferring schools such as fare, uniforms, and processing of documents,” they added.

They also called on the DepEd to guarantee the performance of schools and get rid of diploma mills and fly-by-night schools that have sprouted since the inception of the K-12 program and ensure there will be no economic dislocation for all SHS instructors and teachers.

“Public high schools must be able to absorb SHS teachers employed in SUCs and LUCs without loss of compensation and benefits, otherwise teachers risk economic displacement,” they added.

Earlier, DepEd Undersecretary and Spokesperson Michael Poa assured the public that public