DepEd: 1.3 million students to enter senior high

MANILA, Philippines - Some 1.3 million incoming students are expected to enter senior high school (SHS) this year as the K to 12 program takes full implementation next school year 2016 to 2017, the Department of Education (DepEd) said on Friday.

The DepEd also said that over 40,000 teacher applicants applied for SHS teaching positions for 2016.

The department conducted an early registration program for incoming students from October 19 to November 19 and opened teaching positions in October 2015.

DepEd Assistant Secretary for Planning Jesus Mateo said that the 1.3 million registrants were close to the estimated 1.2 million to 1.6 million students.

Around 878,000 or 76 percent of the registrants will enter public schools while 438,000 or 24 percent will enroll in private schools as some tracks are not offered in their schools.

Mateo noted that 172,000 students or 5.7 percent will transfer to public schools.

An estimated 59 percent of the 1.3 million students plan to pursue an academic track while 40 percent will take the technical-vocational-livelihood track. Only one percent will pursue the arts and design and sports tracks.

Mateo said that P93 billion or 22 percent of the approved 2016 budget will be used for the full implementation of the SHS. P12 billion will be allotted for funding the voucher program which will provide financial assistance for students who intend to enroll in private schools.

Meanwhile, training for the successful teacher applicants will start in April.

READ: DepEd starts hiring senior high school teachers

The DepEd official said that 11,824 of the applicants are fresh graduates, 4,912 are industry practitioners, 4,000 are from the higher education institutions, 2,229 are junior high non-DepEd teachers and 510 are from private schools.

Based on DepEd data, 5,902 public schools will begin to offer Grade 11 in 2016 and Grace 12 in 2012. These schools will be operated and funded by the DepEd.

On the other hand, 4,328 private high schools, private and public universities and colleges and technical-vocational schools will begin to offer SHS this year. - Patricia Lourdes Viray

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