DepEd: More students choose tech-voc track

CEBU, Philippines - In the implementation of the K to 12 program, the Department of Education has found out that majority of students in Central Visayas are looking forward to pursue technical-vocational courses in senior high school over academic and arts and sports.

In a presentation yesterday during the K to 12 regional dialogue at the USJ-R main campus, DepEd-7 director Dr. Juliet Jeruta noted that over 166,458 students in the region want to pursue technical-vocational tracks in senior high school.

This is almost more than half the number of students that want to pursue the academic track with only 94,206 students choosing the field. There were only 2,640 students who chose the arts and sports track.

With the K to 12 program, two years of senior high school is added to the current 10-year education curriculum. The two additional years hopes to serve as a specialization period for high school students, whether in vocational skills, music, the arts or sports.

DepEd explained that the technical-vocational livelihood track has four specializations: Information and Communications Technology, Home Economics, Agri-Fishery Arts and Industrial Arts.

Meanwhile, the academic track has four strands: general academic; accountancy, business and management; science, technology, engineering and mathematics; and humanities and social sciences.

The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority and the Department of Labor and Employment have earlier assured that they are ready to support the technical-vocational aspect of the K to 12 program.

In fact, TESDA has reportedly completed the development of a new set of curriculum for teaching the technical vocational education and training (TVET) courses to students under the K to 12 program.

TESDA director general Joel Villanueva earlier assured that they have more than a hundred Technology and Livelihood Education (TLE) teachers and supervisors who have completed the mandatory training and are ready to teach the new curriculum.  (FREEMAN)