Contingency plans readied for senior high school program implementation in Region 8

PALO, Leyte, May 19 (PNA) -– The Department of Education (DepED) regional office here asked schools officials to map out contingency plans in the event problems will arise in the first few weeks of senior high school (SHS) program full implementation.

The DepED asked its field offices in Eastern Visayas to check the contingency plans of each school, evaluate their readiness and level of confidence to carry out the last two years of the kindergarten and 12 years (K to 12) of basic education program.

“Schools division superintendents have been going around to monitor the preparations, check their precautionary measures and extend all technical assistance needed,” said DepED regional information office Jazmin Calzita.

Top on the list of possible issues during the first day of classes are classroom shortage, lack of teachers, inadequate furniture, and unexpected number of SHS learners.

Calzita said that majority of classrooms intended for SHS enrolees are now substantially completed, however, some projects have encountered delays as sites failed the soil test done by the Department of Public Works and Highways.

The DepED has identified 361 schools in Eastern Visayas that will offer SHS program starting June 13, 2016. Of the number, 340 are existing secondary schools and 21 are stand alone campuses. At least 123 private schools will also offer SHS.

The education department is expecting more than 72,000 enrolees in the region, representing the first batch of learners who will take part in the full implementation of SHS program.

Training is now ongoing for more than 1,000 SHS teachers that will equip learners with skills that better prepare them for employment, entrepreneurship, skills development, and higher education.

The SHS program covers eight learning areas as part of its core curriculum, and adds specific tracks (similar to college courses) based on four disciplines.

These are academic (which includes business, science and engineering, humanities and social science, and a general academic strand), technical-vocational-livelihood (with highly specialized subjects with TESDA qualifications), sports, and arts and design.

SHS students may pick a track based on how he or she will want to proceed after high school graduation.

SHS will be offered free in public schools and there will be a voucher program in place for public junior high school completers should they choose to take SHS in private institutions. In the case of Eastern Visayas, the voucher is PHP17,500 per student. (PNA)

FFC/SARWELL Q. MENIANO