Ateneo to offer co-ed senior high

MANILA, Philippines — The Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU) will break its all-male high school program in 2016 when it starts offering a senior high school program for both male and female students.

In a memorandum, ADMU president Fr. Jett Villarin said the university’s Board of Trustees approved a landmark decision that will pave way for the offering of a senior high school program.

“This completes the planned restructuring of our basic education program into six years of grade school and six years of high school. By school year 2016-17, the Ateneo High School will then be composed of four years of junior high school (grades 7 to 10) and two years of senior high school (grades 11 to 12),” said Villarin.

He said that the senior high school will be open to the incoming Ateneo grade 11 boys, plus 300 more students from other schools outside Ateneo High School.

“The 300 additional new entrants, both boys and girls, will be chosen from public, parochial and select private schools all over the country,” he said.

Villarin added that 100 scholarship grants will be offered to academically gifted but financially challenged students in senior high school.

The ADMU president said the co-ed nature of the senior high school program will serve as preparation for college. He stressed, however, that the grade school and junior high school programs of the university will remain exclusive for boys.