Bea Allyson Alimangohan

Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada filed an amendment to remove Senior High School (SHS) from the country's basic education system, which he named the ‘Rationalized Basic Education Act’ or the Senate Bill 3001, dated June 2.

Photo Courtesy of Deposit Photos.

According to Estrada, the Senate bill primarily seeks to modify RA 10533, also known as the ‘Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013’, since it has not yet successfully fulfilled its objectives in the education sector. 

"Ever since this education reform was put in place, it has been met with criticisms and objections from various groups. It has been 12 years now since the enactment of the law, yet it still has not fully achieved its goal," he said in a press release on June 5.

Estrada also cited the congested curriculum, overworked teachers and students, and the low employment rate of SHS graduates, with only 10 percent entering the workforce which mostly from the informal sector, which proved the unmet goals of RA 10533.

“SHS program has not yet reached its vision for the K to 12 graduate,” Estrada stated, citing the acknowledgement from Department of Education (DepEd) officials due to the negative outcomes and a declining approval rate for SHS. 

Based on the survey results from Pulse Asia Research Inc., the program obtained a low satisfaction level, with only 33 percent of respondents satisfied, while 40 percent expressed dissatisfaction last March 2025.

"We can't keep letting students and their parents shoulder the extra time and cost of senior high school. Bakit natin hahayaan na patuloy na maging dagdag pasanin sa oras at gastusin ang dalawang taon sa high school level?" he added. 

Under Senate Bill 3001, the term ‘Enhanced’ in the Enhanced Basic Education Program would be replaced with ‘Rationalized,’ proposing a four-year high school system instead of the current six-year structure that includes SHS.

"This bill is a practical step to fix our basic education system - make it more efficient, use resources better, and give students a more meaningful learning experience," he added. 

In the press release, Estrada said that he wanted to remove the SHS level but retain the fundamental principles of the law, yet intending to ensure ‘students get quality education that meets global standards’. 

The DepEd, along with academic experts, began reviewing the SHS curriculum in November 2024 to simplify the curriculum, reduce subject overload, and improve students’ work immersion experiences.