DepEd: Some high school graduates eligible to enroll in college

MANILA, Philippines - Some students who will graduate in high school in March will be able to enroll in higher education institutions (HEIs) despite the implementation of the K to 12 program, the Department of Education (DepEd) said.

Education Secretary Armin Luistro said graduates of some public and private high schools that fall under certain classifications are permitted to enroll in college next school year.

“DepEd... enjoined all public and private schools to find creative and innovative ways to implement the K to 12 Basic Education Program. As a result, several public and private schools have heeded the challenge by coming up with varied ways of implementing the Enhanced Basic Education Program,” said Luistro.

Included in the list are schools that have created school-specific K to 12 transition plans, those that took part in the modelling of the senior high school program in 2012 and 2013, and the early implementers of the program in 2014.

The first batch of Grade 11 students will enrol in senior high school starting June 2016.

Commission on Higher Education (CHED) chairman Patricia Licuanan issued a memorandum earlier identifying students who may be allowed to enroll in college next year.

Licuanan said that while the K to 12 will result in a multi-year low enrolment as high school graduates will have to proceed to senior high school, HEIs can still accept freshmen students in 2016.

She stressed that only those who will graduate from schools that have already piloted the senior high school programs in the past two years may be accepted for a college program.

Licuanan added that HEIs can also accept students who have graduated before 2016, but have yet to start their college education or complete their unfinished undergraduate degrees.

“The commission is currently undertaking a study to assess the profile of this group of students, including the disciplines or fields of study that may be of interest to them,” said Licuanan.

While there will be enrolments during this period, this group will be smaller compared to the regular number of students, possibly posing financial challenges to HEIs, Licuanan noted.