Catholic Education Leaders Advocate for Strengthening Senior High School Program

Catholic education leaders are urging the government to reform, not repeal, the Senior High School program in the Philippines. They emphasize the importance of strengthening access, improving implementation, and upholding gains in education equity and global standards.

The Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines (CEAP) and the Episcopal Commission on Catholic Education (ECCE) of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) have strongly opposed the proposed removal of Senior High School (SHS) from the education system, calling it 'untimely' and 'dangerously shortsighted.'

They defend the SHS program under the K to 12 curriculum and emphasize the need for reform instead of repeal. The SHS program, introduced in 2016, aimed to address gaps in college and job readiness among Filipino graduates and align the country with global education standards.

The groups stress the importance of expanding the SHS Voucher Program to ensure access, especially for students in underserved communities. They recommend fixing issues such as curriculum overload and lack of qualified teachers rather than abandoning the program.

CEAP and CBCP call for policy continuity, closer industry-academe collaboration, and alignment of the curriculum with labor market needs to improve SHS outcomes. They warn that reverting to a 10-year education cycle would reverse progress and waste investments.

The groups urge the government to conduct a thorough performance review of SHS and implement evidence-based reforms to fulfill the original promise of the program.

According to the source: Manila Bulletin.