PSHS eyes 6-year curriculum

MANILA, Philippines – Officials of the Philippine Science High School System are studying the possibility of implementing a six-year high school curriculum to better prepare the students for college.

PSHS System executive director Filma Brawner said this is different from the K-12 plan (kindergarten to 12th grade plan) being developed by the Department of Education.

“We may be able to keep with the proposal that we will have a six-year science curriculum in secondary schools. We are still studying it… we need to have some studies to validate the process so we will make a very good decision, we’re just starting the discussions in our executive committee meetings,” she told reporters.

Brawner said adding two years in the PSHS curriculum would help students to make better decisions on the course they want to take up in college.

“An additional two years will make the students more mature. This will help them to decide better on what particular course they would want to go to,” Brawner said noting that most of the students who finished high school are 15 or 16 years old.

“We look at it (age) as quite young. They make certain decisions, ‘this is the course I will enroll in,’ then later on they will drop out,” she added.

However, Brawner said they have yet to consult the parents about this plan but she already instructed PSHS regional directors to create awareness about this concept.

Should the plan materialize, Brawner said she hopes the Aquino government would provide additional budget for the PSHS.

The DepEd is expected to come out with the details of the K-12 program on Oct. 5, in time for the celebration of Teachers’ Day. The K-12 plan, which is part of President Aquino’s proposed educational reforms, was criticized by some groups who said the current 10-year basic education system should be improved first.