DepEd eyes phased implementation of revised SHS curriculum starting SY 2025-26

The phased implementation of the revised curriculum for senior high school is set to begin in School Year 2025-2026, Education Secretary Sonny Angara said Wednesday.

Angara reiterated that under the revised curriculum for Grades 11 and 12, the core subjects will be reduced from 15 to just 5-7.

“Actually, ang plano diyan 2026 pa i-implement ‘yan pero tinatarget namin ngayon 2025. Although nakikiusap ‘yung ibang mga eskwelahan na napakahirap daw no’n, so i-phase natin ang implementation. So tayo, open naman tayo diyan,” he said in a Kapihan sa Manila Bay forum.

(Actually, the plan is to implement it in 2026, but we are now targeting 2025. Although the other schools are saying that it is a bit difficult, so let's phase the implementation. We’re open to that.)

“Ibibigay lang natin ang basic curriculum tapos bahala na ‘yung mga schools kung ano ‘yung mga gusto nilang idagdag, ano ‘yung gusto nilang i-offer na mga electives, etc., especially sa private sector. We will give them a lot of freedom,” he added.

(We will only provide them the basic curriculum and then it will be up to the schools to decide what they want to add, what electives they want to offer, etc., especially in the private sector. We will give them a lot of freedom.)

Angara said that teachers welcomed the adjusted SHS curriculum, which underwent a review so as to not “overburden” the students and later on produce more job-ready and responsible graduates.

He said that the "important subjects” that will remain include communications, Filipino history, basic math and science, computing, and life or soft skills.

“Karamihan electives na. Pipiliin na ng mga bata ‘yung ano talaga gusto niya,” he said.

(There will be a lot of electives. The children will choose what they really want for their future.)

In 2023, the Department of Education (Deped) organized a national task force to conduct a review on the implementation of the SHS program in both DepEd and non-DepEd schools.

The DepEd launched first the revised K-10 curriculum of the K-12 program in August 2023.

Under the recalibrated K-10 curriculum, which is now in its phased implementation, the number of learning competencies was reduced by 70% from around 11,700 to 3,600.

The DepEd also cut down the number of subjects, with greater emphasis given on the development of Kinder to Grade 3 learners' foundational skills such as literacy, numeracy, and socio-emotional skills. — RSJ, GMA Integrated News