DepEd extends SHS voucher in SUCs
THE Department of Education (DepEd) has extended the Senior High School Voucher Program (SHSVP) to Grade 11 students enrolled in state and local universities and colleges (SUCs and LUCs) for the 2023-2024 school year to avoid the displacement of learners.
DepEd said the voucher program extension “may continue” until the students finish their Grade 12 studies in SY 2024–2025.
“Prior to the start of the current school year, DepEd Order No. 20 s. 2023 was issued, stating that there should be no more Grade 11 voucher beneficiaries from SUCs and LUCs for SY 2023-2024. Despite this issuance, however, our records show that several SUCs and LUCs still accepted Grade 11 learners for the current school year,” DepEd said in a statement on Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2024, posted on its official Facebook page with 5.4 million followers.
“To prevent any displacement of learners, the DepEd would like to announce that the Senior High School Voucher Program (SHSVP) will again be extended to Grade 11 learners currently enrolled in SUCs and LUCs for SY 2023-2024. Subsequently, they may also continue as voucher beneficiaries to complete their Grade 12 studies come SY 2024-2025,” the statement continued.
In a memorandum dated Dec. 18, 2023, made public several days later, the Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) said it had decided to discontinue the SHS program in SUCs and LUCs as the K to 12 program transition period ended.
“The Department of Education has already issued a notice, through Private Education Assistance Committee, that beginning SY 2023-2024, there should be no more Government Assistance to Students and Teachers in Private Education and Teachers in Private Education beneficiaries from SUCs/LUCs, except those who will be entering Grade 12 in SY 2023-2024 to finish their basic education and that SUCS and LUCs with laboratory school can accept enrolled but will no longer receive vouchers,” the CHEd memorandum read.
On the government TV station PTV’s “Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon” program on January 3, CHEd Chairman J. Prospero de Vera 3rd said “the institutions (SUCs and LUCs) are full and cannot accommodate more students as there is no longer a legal basis to fund them” as the K to 12 transition period is only from SY 2016-2017 to SY 2020-2021.
“The problem was that there were not enough teachers and rooms for senior high students, whereas, in public universities, their classrooms and teachers are too much because they don’t have freshmen coming,” de Vera said as he explained how CHEd took the responsibility when the K to 12 law was passed.
To address the dilemma, DepEd and CHEd agreed that public universities can offer senior high schools to use their room capacity and teachers during the transition period.
De Vera said that SHS education was paid through DepEd vouchers, and now that the transition period is over, “they must use their rooms and teachers.”
However, while new SHS enrollment in SUCs and LUCs will stop, current Grade 12 students will still be allowed to finish their education.
“The Grade 12 students who are enrolled will continue until they finish, as they will not be able to get any subsidy from the national government for these students,” he said.
He said that SUCs [and LUCs] should talk with their board of regents (BOR), as they have the final say over student admission, particularly of Grade 11 students for the current school year.
He said they would coordinate with BOR to resolve any problems that would arise due to the transition.
“We will coordinate with BOR through the regional office, and the possible problems in the transition will be acted upon by the commission. We will contact DepEd if there are any problems that need to be fixed,” de Vera stated, adding that this is only being addressed now because of the Covid-19 health crisis from 2020 to 2022.
DepEd said SHS students enrolled in higher education institutions (HEIs) will still be accepted into public basic education schools or enroll in private schools and avail of the voucher program.
It said it would execute a memorandum of agreement with CHEd to formalize the arrangement.
“Finally, to avoid a similar situation going forward, we would like to remind our SUCs and LUCs that DepEd will no longer be extending the SHSVP to Grade 11 learners in their schools beginning SY 20242025. Hence, the acceptance of new SHS learners by SUCs and LUCs shall only be made in accordance with their charters and charged to their respective funds,” DepEd said in the statement.
Under the SHSVP, DepEd offers financial assistance to junior high school (JHS) graduates so they can enroll in the SHS of their choosing. DepEd sends the money directly to the school, so students receive a voucher certificate rather than cash. Students who meet the requirements can receive a 50 percent to 100 percent reduction on their tuition, or P17,500 to P22,500, depending on the region.
Vouchers are given to students attending tech-voc schools, nonDepEd/private schools, LUCs and SUCs offering the SHS program.
14 Makati schools to Taguig
Meanwhile, DepEd said it was grateful for the cooperation and commitment of the City Government of Taguig and Makati toward an orderly transition of the schools affected by the Supreme Court’s decision in its Municipality of Makati v. Municipality of Taguig (GR 235316).
“Likewise, DepEd also recognizes Regional Director Gilbert Sadsad and all of the members of the Transition Committee for their perseverance and diligence throughout the entire process,” said in its official statement issued on Jan. 15, 2024.
“With the common goal of delivering quality education, Vice President and Secretary of Education Sara Z. Duterte, Taguig Mayor Lani Cayetano, and Makati Mayor Abby Binay signed a memorandum of agreement for the full transition of the public schools’ operations from Makati to Taguig beginning January 1, 2024,” the statement read.
In the agreement, the Schools Division of Taguig-Pateros will manage and operate the 14 schools.
“While there are still specific issues and appeals that shall be left to the final determination of the proper authorities, the transition has been finally concluded through the collective resolve of the parties in ensuring the unhampered delivery of basic education services,” the DepEd statement said.
While the DepEd website https:// www.deped.gov.ph/ is the official platform for orders and memoranda within the agency, it urges the media and the public to visit its Facebook page https://web.facebook.com/ DepartmentOfEducation.PH for news and announcements.