DepEd to hold early registration for senior high school students

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Education (DepEd) will hold a nationwide early registration for incoming senior high school students next month.

Education Secretary Armin Luistro also said the agency has rolled out its Career Guidance Program (CGP) to guide Grade 10 students to choose the best SHS track that suits their interest.

The National Early Registration Day will be conducted from Oct. 19 to 23 to ensure that SHS students are enrolled when the SHS is fully implemented beginning school year 2016-2017.

The four major tracks in the SHS program are Academic, Technical-Vocational Livelihood, Sports, and Arts and Design. 

“We want our students to be aware of the importance of choosing a track that suits their interest while at the same time matches the available resources as well as job opportunities that await them,” Luistro said.

A Career Guidance Week is set on Oct. 12 to 16, during which schools are directed to intensify the awareness campaign through career fairs and orientation seminars on the SHS program, he said.

DepEd will also discuss with the parents the SHS program through the Parent Teacher Conference scheduled on Oct. 17, Luistro said.

The DepEd division offices will also conduct a division-wide career guidance activities to cater to Grade 10 students enrolled in private schools and to high school graduates prior to the full implementation of the K to 12 program.

 The career guidance is also open to passers of the Philippine Educational Placement Test (PEPT) and the Accreditation & Equivalency (A&E) Test for the junior high school level.

DepEd earlier said it expects an estimated 1.6 million SHS students next year, of which only 800,000 can be accommodated by public schools.

The agency expects the remaining 800,000 or so students to be absorbed by non-DepEd schools, which include private education institutions that charge high tuition.

Signed into law in 2013, the K to 12 program seeks to strengthen the country’s 10-year basic education curriculum.

Aside from the mandatory implementation of kindergarten, K to 12 added two years in high school.