40,000 HS seniors endorsed for scholarship after getting 98% scores in NCAE

MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Education (DepEd) endorsed more than 40,000 graduating high school students for scholarships from the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) after the students garnered percentage scores of 98 and above in the last National Career Assessment Examinations (NCAE).

Education Secretary Jesli Lapus said that aside from getting high scores in the NCAE’s general scholastic aptitude (GSA) and technical-vocational aptitude (TVA) tests, the students they endorsed also belonged to low-income families.

Lapus said the students that were endorsed by DepEd will be given priority scholarships by CHED and TESDA for either baccalaureate degree programs or tech-voc training courses.

DepEd recommended to CHED for college scholarship some 20,307 graduating students.

Some 22,879 fourth year students, on the other hand, were identified as possible scholarship candidates in technical-vocational courses after the students scored lower in some subjects. Their names have been endorsed to TESDA.

The GSA Test portion of the NCAE is used in measuring the capacity of students to finish tertiary education.

“Through this initiative, we are able to direct government scholarship to the most deserving based on their competency and financial needs. Moreover, these students are most likely to complete their college education,” Lapus said.

In the latest NCAE results, DepEd noted that there are students who got 98 percent and above in two or more domains.

Many students who registered high in the general scholastic aptitude test also got high scores in the technical-vocational aptitude and entrepreneurial skills components of the exam.

DepEd came up with the NCAE to measure students on whether to go to college or just pursue tech-voc courses.

Lapus said that DepEd has also seen the NCAE as an instrument to identify students deserving of tech-voc training or college scholarships being given by the government every year through CHED and TESDA.

Lapus said that private groups that award scholarships could also use the NCAE results to identify deserving awardees.

“I am calling on all scholarship-giving organizations, both public and private, to take cognizance of these results and help our young achievers fulfill their promise,” Lapus urged.

Earlier, CHED and TESDA agreed to give priority scholarship slots to superior but indigent high school graduates based on the NCAE results.

The domains of NCAE are general scholastic aptitude, technical-vocational aptitude, entrepreneurial skills, and interest inventory.

The examination is composed of scientific ability, mathematical ability, reading comprehension, verbal ability, manipulative skills, clerical ability, non-verbal ability and entrepreneurial skills.

The NCAE  for school year 2007-08 was taken by 1.2 million fourth year high school students or 97 percent of all those enrolled in both private and public schools last August.

DepEd began the distribution of individual test results last November.