Cheyenne Suarez

Fewer lessons, learning tracks in senior high program DepEd plans to test

Article (news)

Victoria Tulad

ABS-CBN News

<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1746690104893DepEd.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="High school students from the Manuel Roxas High School in Quezon City paint different images on a mural themed “Imagine Rotary, Dream Big and Take Action” as they take part in a mural painting competition on May 9, 2023. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News/File"/>High school students from the Manuel Roxas High School in Quezon City paint different images on a mural themed “Imagine Rotary, Dream Big and Take Action” as they take part in a mural painting competition on May 9, 2023. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News/File</div>MANILA — The Department of Education (DepEd) will implement a pilot study of a strengthened Senior High School (SHS) Program in 727 schools come school year 2025-2026.The revised program will have fewer lessons and learning tracks, which the government believes will better prepare graduates for work or for higher education.<div>FIVE CORE SUBJECTS </div>Under the pilot rollout, core subjects will be trimmed down to five proposed core subjects — effective communication, life skills, general mathematics, general science, and pag-aaral ng kasaysayan at lipunang pilipino — from the current 15.Tracks will also be reduced to two from four: Academic and Technical Professional (TechPro). The previous tracks were academic, technical-vocational-livelihood, sports, and arts and design.  “The ongoing reforms stem from the directive of the President to Secretary Sonny Angara to ensure we can help prepare our students to become more ready for the life of work or for college education thereby giving them a better future,” DepEd Undersecretary Gina Gonong told a Senate hearing.She said, however, that the five proposed core subjects are not enough, and learners will need to take electives.She said they are awaiting the list of prerequisites of courses from the Commission on Higher Education. DepEd also admitted that the senior high school program has not yet reached its vision for the K to 12 graduates since the curriculum is congested, learners and teachers are overworked, and there is low labor participation by senior high graduates in the workforce, around 10%.Despite these, DepEd Assistant Secretary Janir Datukan said there are have been small wins such as improved hiring outlook with four out of five companies open to hiring senior high graduates from the previous three out of five in 2018.Gonong assured senators they are working with CHED to improve the curriculum.Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian said DepEd should scrap the bridging program in the senior high curriculum since graduates should already be equipped for college.The senator also suggested removing certain subjects in college such as physical education and art appreciation and “push [these] down to basic education.” He said that would allow college students to &quot;focus on your concentration or your specialization.”The rollout will include 160 private schools and 567 public schools, around 5.76% of all senior high schools in the country, DepEd told the Senate Committee on Basic Education.Five parameters were considered in choosing the said schools—school size, rural versus urban location, track offerings, public versus private management, and stand-alone versus integrated models.DepEd hopes to fully roll out the strengthened program in school year 2026-2027.Gatchalian, however, pointed out that more rural schools must be included in the pilot schools to get richer data on how to address issues in the curriculum. Of the 727, only 20 are rural schools while 707 are urban.<div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/5/1/deped-vows-to-address-functional-illiteracy-among-senior-high-grads-1123">DepEd vows to address &#x27;functional illiteracy&#x27; among senior high grads </a></div>“In my conversations with some of the principals in rural schools, until now they are having problems in the current senior high curriculum because it is very difficult to get specialists, it is very difficult to buy equipment, it’s very difficult to collaborate with industry, some of them do not have industries at all kasi farming sila or fisheries,” he added.Gatchalian also stressed the disappointment of many parents in the current senior high program.   “What we guaranteed to our constituents, with additional two years in high school, we reduce the number of years in college,” he said. “But what happened in reality, we added two years in senior high and maintained four years in college.&quot;A survey commissioned by the office of Gatchalian said only 33% of respondents from all over the country are satisfied with the senior high school of the K to 12 program, while 40% are dissatisfied.Majority of those who are dissatisfied or 59% said they are dissatisfied because parents have to shell out more money such as for transportation and food, 52% said a senior high school diploma is not enough to get a better job, while 43% said every family dreams of having their child graduate from college, not just from senior high school.<div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/4/23/deped-to-boost-implementation-of-4-summer-programs-in-may-1147">DepEd to boost implementation of 4 summer programs in May </a></div>Other respondents said the drop-out rate will increase due to the extra two years in school, the need for better — not necessarily more — education, and the need to first solve the lack of classrooms, furniture, equipment, qualified teachers, and error-free textbooks.

The Department of Education (DepEd) will implement a pilot study of the strengthened Senior High School (SHS) Program in 727 schools come school year 2025-2026.

The Department of Education (DepEd) will implement a pilot study of the strengthened Senior High School (SHS) Program in 727 schools come school year 2025-2026.