Rules for studes in regional science high schools issued

The Department of Education recently released its guidelines for the admission, retention, grading system and selection of honor students of science high schools in the region.

These guidelines have been aimed at raising the standard of operation of these specialized schools in the region, according to DepEd undersecretary Ramon Bacani.

Under the guidelines, Bacani said that those qualified to take the entrance examinations and eventually admitted to these Regional Science High Schools are only those who belong to the upper 10 percent of the Grade VI graduating class, with recommendations from their principals.

A particular school will conduct the selection of students through three stages, the first one of which is the administration of standardized mental ability and aptitude test. Examinees in this stage should get into the upper 40 percent to be able to advance to the second stage.

The second stage involves proficiency tests in Science, English and Mathematics subjects, in which only those who obtain 75 percent proficiency level could advance to the third and final stage of the selection process.

The last stage is the interview of the student together with the parent to be conducted by the RSHS screening committee. It shall be rated based on a prepared rubric and shall be an integral part of the overall score of the student.

Once admitted, a student should maintain a level of academic performance to stay in the program.

He or she must have no grade lower than 80 percent in any subject of English, Science, and Math in any grading period; then a final grade of at least 85 percent in all these subjects.

For the rest of the subjects, a student should have a final grade not lower than 83 percent, and failure to meet this grade requirement shall put the incoming second year or third year student under a one-year probation period.

In case of transfer, only students who have maintained the grade requirement set for the regional science high schools shall be allowed to transfer laterally, that is, from one RSHS to another but transfer from a general high school to the RSHS shall not be allowed in any curriculum year.

To be an honor student at any year level in these schools, a student must have a final grade not lower than 85 percent in English, Science and Mathematics and a final grade, which is not lower than 83 percent in any other subject. An additional requirement for honors among graduating students is to have a final grade not lower than 90 percent in research.

The ranking mode for the top 15 students is the use of the 7-3 point-scheme, or seven points for academic performance and three points for leadership in co-curricular activities), but the grades of the previous year level shall not be considered.

In case of a tie, candidates may both be declared as valedictorians or salutatorians, or first honorable mention, and further down the rank, as the case may be.

Those ineligible for honors are: a transferee who enters after the first grading of the school year; a student who has been suspended for serious infractions like cheating and stealing, smoking inside the school premises, gambling of any sort, and fighting and causing injuries. The disqualification, however, shall be only during curriculum year when the suspension is imposed. - Jasmin R. Uy