DepEd: Public, private schools ready to accommodate over 17k affected Grade 11 students

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 5) — The Department of Education (DepEd) assured affected Grade 11 students that there will be schools where they can transfer after the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) ordered state and local universities to halt their senior high school program.

“Definitely ma-accommodatenatin sila,” DepEd Assistant Secretary Francis Bringas told CNN Philippines’ The Source on Friday. “Malaking number yung 17,700 but that’s all over the country, distributed to over 70 schools division offices.”

[Translation: Definitely we can accommodate them. 17,700 is a big number but that’s all over the country, distributed to over 70 schools division offices.]

CHED on Dec. 29 issued a memorandum reiterating its previous order that the engagement of state universities and colleges (SUCs) and local universities and colleges (LUCs) in basic education through senior high school shall be limited to the K-12 transition period which is from School Year (SY) 2016-2017 to SY 2020-2021 only.

It also said there will no longer be government assistance for students and teachers in private education (GASTPE) beneficiaries from SUCs and LUCs beginning SY 2023-2024.

Affected students have two options for next school year, either enroll in a public school or a private school which will make them eligible for the government’s voucher program, Bringas said.

The DepEd has identified two public and two private schools per SUC and LUC location where affected students may transfer, the official said. Parents may still look for other options that will be most convenient for the learners.

The list of schools will be given to the different schools division office next week, Bringas said.