DepEd: There's enough public schools for SHS learners from SUCs

The Department of Education (DepEd) on Thursday said that there are enough public schools to accommodate all 17,700 incoming Grade 12 learners affected by the discontinuation of the senior high school (SHS) program in state and local universities and colleges. 

“Yes, kakayanin naman ‘no. Nakipagugnayan na tayo sa lahat ng mga regional offices and SDOs (Schools Division Office) kung saan meron tayong enrollees sa mga local universities at nakikita natin nga sa Grade 11 natin, out of the 17,700, nasa average na 250 learners per division ang nakikita nating ia-accommodate sa mga division offices na public schools,” said DepEd Assistant Secretary Francis Bringas in an interview on Unang Balita. 

(Yes, we could accommodate them. We have coordinated with all the regional offices and school division offices, and we can see that out of the 17,700 learners there is an average of 250 learners that can be accommodated per division office.)

DepEd Undersecretary Michael Poa previously said that affected SHS learners have two options: enroll in public schools offering basic education or enroll in private schools and avail of the voucher program. 

According to CHED chairman Prospero de Vera III, DepEd has already issued a notice that there should be no more Government Assistance to Students and Teachers in Private Education (GATSPE) beneficiaries from state universities and colleges (SUCs) and local universities and colleges (LUCs), except those who will be entering Grade 12.

House Assistant Minority Leader Arlene Brosas said Wednesday that this may result in SHS students being forced to turn to private schools which charge higher tuition and fees, or stop schooling if they cannot be accommodated in public schools because of lack of facilities.

Bringas, meanwhile, said that DepEd has been aggressive in the past years to provide enough buildings and teachers for affected students.

“The past administration and the present have been aggressive in providing high school buildings, as well as teachers in all of our schools nationwide. Kaya nung nag-end dapat ‘yung transition period natin 2021-2022, we have already provided for enough senior high school buildings and teachers at patuloy pa rin naman tayong nagbibigay ng mga facilities and personnel sa ating mga senior high schools,” he added. 

(When our transition period ended in 2021-2022, we had already provided for enough senior high school buildings and teachers. We are still providing facilities and personnel to our senior high schools.) —

Prank?

Meanwhile, at the House of Representatives, Kabataan party-list lawmaker Raoul Manuel scored the DepEd and CHED for allowing thousands of senior high school students to enroll in SUCs and LUCs before discontinuing the program.

"Hinayaan lang ng DepEd at CHED na mag-enroll ang nasa 18,000 students sa senior high school ng SUCs at LUCs. Tapos eventually ipapatigil ang senior high school program nila at papalipatin ng school bago maka-graduate. Ano ito, prank?" Manuel said in a statement on Thursday.

(DepEd and CHED allowed 18,000 SHS students to enroll  SUCs and LUCs when they will be stopping the SHS program before these students graduate. Is this a prank?)

"As a graduate of an SUC high school program, I empathize with the students, families and schools who will be affected by this," he added.

House Deputy Minority Leader and ACT Teachers party-list Representative France Castro, for her part, said there should have been a series of consultation with the students, parents and teachers before proceeding with such discontinuance.

“Affected students will have to make way to our already packed public high schools, while the SHS teachers' job will be in limbo because of this," she said in a separate statement. —with Llanesca T. Panti/VAL/KBK, GMA Integrated News