Gov’t urged to allot P45-B scholarship for high school seniors

MANILA, Philippines - A former education secretary urged the government yesterday to put up a scholarship program for incoming senior high school students under the K to 12 program to allow more students to finish technical and vocational courses.

Mona Valisno, who headed the Department of Education (DepEd) during the Arroyo administration, said the government should allocate about P45 billion to fund a “voucher program” that will benefit around 1.5 million high school seniors.

“Following a rough estimate of P30,000 per school year per student, some P45 billion may be incurred, to be charged against DepEd,” Valisno told reporters.

She also pushed for the establishment of a scholarship division at the DepEd.

Valisno, who initiated the National College Entrance Examination (NCEE), recalled that about three percent of the NCEE topnotchers in 1976 were not able to attend college because their parents could not afford to pay tuition.

She said these students received a grade of more than 98 percent.

“These students, who belong to the poorest of the poor, were not able to take entrance examinations even at the University of the Philippines because they did not have money to go to the 18 testing centers,” she said.

Data from the DepEd and the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) indicate that only about 20 to 25 percent (about 375,000) of high school graduates proceed to university education, Valisno said.

She said the remaining 75 to 80 percent (1.125 million) either seek technical-vocational education, join the labor force (for those 18 years old and above), or become out-of-school youth.

Valisno said students who will complete grades 11 and 12 in technical-vocational institutions will have greater chances of getting gainful employment or opportunity to proceed to higher technical-vocational post-secondary courses and later toward tertiary education.

Valisno also urged the DepEd, CHED and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) to start accrediting technical-vocational schools that are planning to offer courses for senior high schools under the K to 12 program, which will be fully implemented by 2016.

“It is necessary that a strong system for quality assurance be instituted by and between DepEd, CHED, TESDA and the various private accrediting bodies to ensure successful implementation of the program,” she said.

Under the K to 12 program, which was signed into law by President Aquino last May 15, students may choose an educational track based on aptitude, interests and school capacity which will define the content of the subjects they will take in senior high school (grades 11 and 12).

The academic tracks include business, accountancy, management (BAM); humanities, education, social sciences (HESS), and science, technology, engineering, mathematics (STEM).

Valisno said the K to 12 program will make Filipino graduates more globally competitive.

Valisno wrote a book, “The Nation’s Journey to Greatness: Looking Beyond Five Decades of Philippine Education,” which was published last year.

She said the proceeds from the sale of her book will go to the Fund for Assistance to Private Education (FAPE) to help send poor but deserving students to schools.