MANILA — The Department of Education (DepEd) plans to extend government subsidy for Grade 11 students currently enrolled in state and local universities and colleges, despite a previous notice that the voucher program will no longer cover them beginning school year 2023-2024.

• ACT: Public high schools to feel impact of SUCs' non-acceptance of SHS students

The planned voucher program extension will cover the over 17,000 Grade 11 students in SUCs and LUCs this year, as well as their Grade 12 education next school year, DepEd spokesperson Michael Poa told the House Committee on Basic Education and Culture on Monday.

“The Vice President (and Education Secretary Sara Duterte) has already given out instructions that DepEd, because of this situation of having 17,751 learners in Grade 11, will again be extending nalang ‘yung ating voucher program to the Grade 11 learners in SUCs and LUCs for this current school year," Poa said.

"And then DepEd will again extend the voucher program when they enter Grade 12 next year, provided that a memorandum of agreement is executed between DepEd and CHED to provide a clear timeline,” Poa added.

DepEd, however, stressed that the law allowing SUCs and LUCs to offer senior high school program provided for only a five-year transitory period from 2016.

It was previously extended due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

DepEd noted that initial findings show at least two to five senior high schools are located within 600 meters to 10 kilometers from SUCs and LUCs currently offering SHS program.

Commission on Higher Education (CHED) chairman Prospero De Vera defended the memo they issued reminding SUCs and LUCs to discontinue offering the senior high school program.

• SUCs, LUCs to discontinue offering senior high school programs

“The problem is that there is no more legal basis for SUCs and LUCs to have senior high, except those having laboratory schools for their education students, and there is a significant number who have laboratory schools,” he told the panel.

“Second, DepEd has informed us that there will be no more vouchers. But the most important reason why the problem has to be addressed is that the SUCs and the LUCs need additional facilities because of the increased enrollment particularly in SUCs… We have to remember that SUCs and LUCs are higher education institutions. Their mandate is to provide post-secondary education,” De Vera added.

CONCERNS

ACT Teachers Party List Rep. France Castro expressed concern on the possible effect on employment of some faculty members should SUCs and LUCs discontinue offering senior high school.

But De Vera gave assurance that there will be no job losses.

“Teachers sa CHED na nagtuturo ng senior high… maaabsorb sa load na available sa colleges and universities?” Castro asked.

“The practice in SUCs is that they do not hire faculty members exclusively for senior high. They are using their existing faculty members and giving it as an overload for them to teach. So there is no disruption and there is no loss of jobs for the full-time faculty members that are teaching senior high,” De Vera replied.

Kabataan Party List Representative Raoul Manuel and the Alliance of Concerned Teachers meanwhile, raised the issue of possible congestion in public schools as an effect of CHED’s memo.

“Kung pupunta ang libu-libong mga batang ito at sasaluhin ng basic education, assuming, sapat na ba ang silid-aralan. O baka naman ni-repair lang ang mga ito? Yung dami ng guro, may mga guro na ang estudyante nila hindi lang 45, mayroong 50, mayroong 55, at sa iba mas malala pa,” Alliance of Concerned Teachers chairperson Vladimir Quetua said.

“Sana mas mapabilis ang pagproduce ng classrooms sa level ng basic education… Ang paglipat ng school sa kanila, it would entail having new uniforms, gagastos para sa uniforms. Pwedeng kung mas malayo na ‘yung school, mas mataas din na gastos sa pamasahe,” Manuel added.

University of Makati president Dr. Elyxzur Ramos asked DepEd whether it can continue offering SHS program if the local government will fund it. DepEd replied that it will not object if there is legal basis.

The agency has formed a technical working group to discuss the said issues, and expects to issue another memo addressing concerns before this school year ends.

“Nakasaad sa charter namin na pwede kaming mag-offer ng senior high school… Kung ang LGU ang gumagastos at hindi naman humihingi ng pondo sa national government can we continue offering senior high school SY 2024-2025? Kasi malaking tulong ‘yan sa DepEd,” Ramos asked.

“Off the bat, I don’t see any problem if it’s locally funded. Kasi nga para lang silang private school. It’s a non-DepEd public school. But there are also other SUCs and LUCs that might have unique situations that we also want to address,” Poa replied.