Citing the act as a “practical step to fix our basic education system,” Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada filed a bill aiming to scrap the mandatory two years of senior high school (SHS) in basic education, June 5.
According to the explanatory note of Senate Bill No. 3001, or the Rationalized Basic Education Act, Estrada argued that the SHS program has yet to “fully achieve its goal” of aligning the Philippine educational system with international standards, even 12 years after the enactment of Republic Act No. 10533, or the Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013.
Cited in the bill are issues within the K to 12 program, including a congested curriculum, overworked teachers and students, and the low employment rate of SHS graduates, with only 10% securing jobs after graduation.
“We can’t keep letting students and their parents shoulder the extra time and cost of senior high school. Bakit natin hahayaan na patuloy na maging dagdag pasanin sa oras at gastusin ang dalawang taon sa high school level?” he argued.
Recommending a return to a mandatory one-year kindergarten, six years of elementary, and four years of secondary education, Estrada said his proposal aims to make the Philippine basic education system more efficient and resource-friendly, while also “[giving] students a more meaningful learning experience.”
“The aim is to simplify the high school system while still making sure students get quality education that meets global standards,” the senator stated.
During a hearing held on May 8, Senator Win Gatchalian, chair of the Senate Committee on Basic Education, highlighted the “massive dissatisfaction” with the implementation of the SHS program, citing additional costs and the perception that an SHS diploma does not guarantee job security.
“So naging double whammy, kailangan ng college dahil hindi makahanap ng trabaho — dinagdagan ang senior high school pero ang SHS hindi naman enough o hindi sapat para makakuha ng trabaho, pero pagpunta ng college — apat na taon pa rin, hindi dalawang taon na pinag usapan during the hearing in 2012,” said Gatchalian.
As of press time, the Department of Education (DepEd) has yet to issue a response to Estrada’s proposed bill.
