DepEd ready to accommodate all incoming senior high students

MANILA, Philippines —  Public schools have enough facilities and teachers to accommodate over 17,000 Grade 11 students who would be displaced by the discontinuation of senior high school (SHS) programs in state and local universities and colleges (SUCs and LUCs), the Department of Education (DepEd) said yesterday.

Since the K-12 transition period began in 2016, the government enacted “aggressive” measures to ensure all schools nationwide would have sufficient facilities and teachers for SHS students, DepEd Assistant Secretary Francis Bringas said.

“That’s why when the transition period ended during the school year 2021-2022, we have already provided enough senior high school buildings and teachers, and we continue to provide facilities and personnel for senior high schools,” Bringas said in an interview aired over GMA News.

He said DepEd regional offices have reported that each public school division can accommodate an average of 250 learners, enough to accommodate 17,700 incoming Grade 11 students.

DepEd’s data shows that about 160 SUCs and LUCs offered senior high school programs before the Commission on Higher Education (CHED)’s directive for all SUCs and LUCs to stop offering SHS programs starting next school year (SY 2024-2025).

SUCs and LUCs offered senior high school programs as part of an agreement with DepEd for the transition period for K to 12 from 2016 to 2021 when most colleges and universities would have little to no freshmen.

Bringas said with the discontinuation of SHS programs in SUCs and LUCs, students and their parents may consider transferring to public schools “which is free” or in private schools where they can receive vouchers to subsidize school fees.

Senators Sherwin Gatchalian and Francis Escudero – both co-chairpersons of the Second Congressional Commission on Education – urged authorities to address the needs of students enrolled in SUCs and LUCs who would be affected by the discontinuation of the SHS program.

The DepEd should ensure that the displaced learners get admitted not only in public schools, but also in private where they should benefit from the student voucher program, Gatchalian said.

Teachers and non-teaching personnel