House Bill proposes skipping senior high school to cut tuition costs
Jamayka Rhose Pascual and Fernan Carigma
As parents continue to feel the burden of rising school tuition fees, a house bill seeks to recommend skipping senior high school level, including grades 11 and 12 to hopefully help them reduce education costs.
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Photo Courtesy of PTV/Inquirer.net. |
House Bill (HB) 11213, called “An Act Providing Education Pathways for Basic Education Students,” aims to amend the current K-12 education system by allowing eligible students the option to skip their final two years of high school and go straight to college or a vocational training program instead.
The bill is designed to create more flexible education opportunities for students who will pass the Honor exam or advance placement examination for graduating Grade 10 learners.
In 2022, a survey conducted by Pulse Asia revealed that 44% of Filipinos were "dissatisfied" with the K-12 program.
Additionally, a study by the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) in 2020 found that only one in five senior high school graduates entered the labor force immediately after graduation.
The bill’s proponent, Rep. Roman Romulo, argues that offering a way to bypass senior high school will ease this financial burden of families, many of whom are already struggling to afford their children’s education.
The bill allows students who have just completed junior high school to skip the two additional years of senior high school, instead moving directly into college or a technical-vocational program.
However, students will be required to take an examination in order to be granted the pass to skip this phase of education.
“An Honors Exam or advanced placement examination shall be made available to graduating Grade 10 students, providing them the opportunity to BYPASS senior high school (Grades 11 and 12), contingent upon successful completion and passing of said exam,” Romulo stated.
The bill also proposes to include subjects that are eligible for credit in higher education regardless of the student’s desired program, rather than dividing the curriculum into tracks or strands.
Meanwhile, students who do not qualify for a four-year university program will have the option to enroll in Technical Education and Skills Development Authority programs.
"It is imperative to establish multiple education pathways tailored to the diverse abilities, talents, and skills of students while fostering their potential to excel by prioritizing and cultivating their individual strengths," Romulo emphasized.
The lawmaker added that the country’s industries are in need of skilled workers, and by allowing students to complete technical-vocational courses earlier, they can fill gaps in the labor market.