10-07-2025
Catholic schools favor reform over repealing SHS program
Catholic schools in the country have opposed the proposal to remove senior high school (SHS) from the K to 12 program, calling the move 'untimely' and 'dangerously shortsighted.'
In a statement, the Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines (CEAP) and the CBCP Episcopal Commission on Catholic Education (ECCE) said in a joint statement the proposed measure threatens the 'vision rooted in equity, global parity, and holistic learner development.'
"Reform, not repeal, is the only rational and just way forward,' the groups said.
'Flaws in execution should not be mistaken for flaws in the framework,' the groups added.
The CEAP and ECCE proposed that instead of abolishing the program, the government should expand and strengthen the SHS Voucher Program so that more learners could enroll in senior high school.
To address the graduates' employment readiness, CEAP said curriculum tracks should be aligned to market demands by strengthening partnerships between schools and the industry.
The regional centers of excellence should also guide struggling schools by upskilling SHS teachers and reforming a job-relevant curriculum.
'Rather than breaking what is still being built, the government should commit to a full review of SHS implementation and institute reforms where necessary without sacrificing its gains,' CEAP said.
'Reverting to a 10-year cycle would dismantle existing structures, waste public and private investment, and once again send Filipino students into college or the workforce underprepared,' it added.
Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada has filed a measure seeking to rationalize the basic education system by removing the SHS, as it 'still has not fully achieved its goal' to produce skilled and job-ready graduates 12 years after the Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013 was enacted into law.
Education Secretary Sonny Angara earlier acknowledged the lapses in the implementation of SHS but said it is up to the Congress to continue to abolish the program.
'Hindi maganda ang naging implementation nitong nakaraang dekada. Masyadong marami ang subjects at nakahon masyado ang mga bata. Hindi sila nakakapili ng subject/s,' Angara said in a statement.
(The SHS' implementation in the last decade has not been good. There were too many subjects and the learners were constrained. They were not able to choose subject/s.) — BAP, GMA Integrated News
