SUCs and LUCs in Cordillera to discontinue senior high school program

Baguio City, Kalinga – Commission on Higher Education – Cordillera has announced the discontinuation of the senior high school (SHS) program in the region.

The decision stems from the cessation of a legal mandate to enroll SHS students, following the culmination of the K-12 transition period.

A CHED memorandum, dated December 18, 2023, delineated that the commission's collaboration with the Department of Education regarding SHS program implementation in State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) and Local Universities and Colleges (LUCs) should only be limited to the K to 12 transition phase - from the school year 2016-2017 until the school year 2020-2021.

Dr. Demetrio Anduyan Jr., the Regional Director of CHED – Cordillera, emphasized that the responsibility for executing the SHS program lies with the DepEd, in line with its mandate encompassing basic education from pre-school to senior high school.

In parallel to the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority's (TESDA) role in providing technical vocational education, CHED is primarily tasked with offering degree and doctorate courses.

The CHED Central Office stated that while it lacks the authority to abolish the SHS program outright, it is issuing reminders to SUCs and LUCs to cease their involvement due to the absence of a legal basis.

CHED Chairman Prospero de Vera III highlighted that the continuation of the K-12 program finds its legal foundation in Republic Act No. 10533, also recognized as the Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013. This legislation distinctly places the K-12 program under the jurisdiction of DepEd.

Assuring proactive measures, De Vera pledged collaboration with the DepEd to devise solutions ensuring that every individual transitions smoothly amidst these changes, leaving no one behind.