‘Untimely, shortsighted,’ Catholic schools say of plan to scrap SHS
BACOLOD CITY—The proposal to remove the senior high school (SHS) program from the country’s education system is “untimely” and “dangerously shortsighted,” Catholic educators warned.
This is the view of the Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines (CEAP) and the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines-Episcopal Commission on Catholic Education (CBCP-Ecced) as they voiced their strong opposition to scrapping the SHS program.
On Wednesday, the CEAP and CBCP-Eceed addressed the issue through a joint statement, a copy of which was furnished to the Inquirer by Br. Joaquin Severino Martinez, president of the University of Saint La Salle here.
The CEAP, the national association of Catholic educational institutions in the Philippines, was founded in 1941. It has more than 1,525 Catholic schools as members, including more than 120 superintendents, around the country.
According to the CEAP and CBCP-Ecced, the SHS program, which was launched in 2016, was “not an accident of policy but a product of vision: one that sought to raise our education system to meet international benchmarks and respond to the evolving needs of Filipino learners and the labor market.”
They emphasized that the Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013, which introduced SHS, was a “hard-won reform” resulting from years of “research, dialogues and consultations.:
“It addressed long-standing gaps in college and work readiness, and finally aligned the Philippines with Asean (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) and global education frameworks,” they said.
Partnerships
While acknowledging concerns about perceived redundancy and the financial burden on families due to the additional two years, the Catholic educators argued that instead of discarding the program, the government should expand and strengthen the SHS voucher program, especially for underserved and marginalized communities.
Currently, over 1.2 million students benefit from government-funded vouchers enabling them to study in private SHS institutions.
These partnerships are crucial in rural and hard-to-reach areas, as they “fill gaps in access, relieve pressure on overcrowded public schools, and bring educational opportunities closer to communities,” the Catholic educators noted.
They stressed on the need for “public-private complementarity” where public and private schools are regarded as “partners in delivering quality education to young Filipinos, not competitors.”
On doubts about the employment readiness of SHS graduates, the Catholic educators recommended deepening partnerships with industry so that curriculum tracks offered are aligned with the demands of the local labor market, while also undertaking meaningful work immersion reform in every school.
These initiatives, they believe, are “tangible, cost-effective improvements that will yield stronger employment outcomes over time.”
The Catholic educators also acknowledged criticisms, such as curriculum overload, unqualified teachers and implementation gaps. But these, they clarified, are “flaws in execution” that should not be mistaken as flaws in the SHS framework.
They proposed setting up regional centers of excellence to mentor struggling schools, foster partnerships with higher education institutions to train SHS teachers, and develop a rationalized, job-relevant curriculum that aligns with the requirements of the Commission on Higher Education and “21st-century skills.”
No to regression
They urged the government to commit to a full review of SHS implementation and institute necessary reforms without sacrificing its gains, and “breaking what is still being built.”
They warned that reverting to the old setup would “dismantle existing structures, waste public and private investment, and once again send Filipino students into college or the workforce underprepared.”
The proposal, they said, is a regression. Instead, the government must “double down on efforts to fulfill the original promise of SHS: to equip every Filipino youth with the tools, competencies, and values needed for success in life and in nation-building.”
“Reform, not repeal, is the only rational and just way forward,” the Catholic educators said.
