‘Senior high policy may further pull down education’

MANILA, Philippines — The Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) yesterday called on the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and Department of Education (DepEd) to reconsider their move to discontinue the senior high school (SHS) programs in state and local universities and colleges (SUCs and LUCs) starting school year 2024-2025.

The teachers group warned that the “ill-advised” directive to SUCs and LUCs will have “severe consequences on students’ access to free education and public school teachers’ working conditions.”

“Our present situation demands the establishment and full funding of more schools instead of the closure of existing ones. Any decision affecting education accessibility and quality must undergo thorough assessment and consultation with all stakeholders,” the group said.

The ACT issued the statement after CHED Chairman Prospero de Vera II, in his memorandum dated Dec. 18, 2023, directed all SUCs and LUCs to discontinue offering SHS programs.

The SUC and LUC’s authority to engage in basic education through SHS programs lapsed after SYs 2016-2017 to 2020-2021, the supposed transition period for the country’s shift to the K-12 education system.

Furthermore, De Vera said the DepEd has already issued a notice that there will no longer be any government assistance or vouchers for students who moved to SUCs and LUCs for the SHS program “except for those entering Grade 12 in SY 2023-2024 to finish their basic education.”

The DepEd later confirmed the notice, which is contained in its Department Order No. 2023-020 issued on July 26, 2023 or just a month before the start of the current SY 2023-2024.

DepEd Undersecretary and spokesman Michael Poa said that based on the DepEd’s database, there are currently around 17,700 Grade 11 students, who are non-voucher recipients, enrolled in SUCs and LUCs this current school year.

“Those that will be displaced have two options next school year: enroll in public schools, or if they would prefer to do so they may also enroll in private schools and avail of the voucher program,” Poa said.

But for ACT, the solutions being laid out by DepEd cannot compensate for the financial burden that the CHED’s directive may cause to students and their families, not to mention the exacerbation of the perennial problem of classroom shortage.

The group said the closure will have a “domino effect” which will “inevitably result in a compromised learning environment and further decline in the quality of education for our students due to large class sizes and additional workload for teachers.”

The ACT said the government should instead first ensure that “adequate support” to the education sector is in place, including a higher education budget that will encompass the construction of enough classrooms and facilities, provision of sufficient learning equipment and materials and hiring of adequate number of teachers and education support personnel.