Bill allowing junior high pupils to pick academic paths OK鈥檇 on 2nd reading
MANILA, Philippines — A bill allowing graduating junior high school students to choose different academic paths has been approved on second reading by the House of Representatives.
During Wednesday’s session, House Bill (HB) No. 11213, or the proposed Education Pathways Act, was approved via viva voce or voice voting.
If enacted, the bill would allow junior high students to choose between a preparatory program for college under the Department of Education (DepEd), to be taken during their senior high school years, or a technical-vocational program under the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).
“The DepEd shall develop and implement a comprehensive curriculum for Grades 11 and 12 that prepares students for admission to colleges and universities. This curriculum shall encompass fundamental subjects to improve and guarantee that students acquire functional literacy and practical skills, and elective courses to allow students to explore their interests and meet college and university admission requirements of their chosen degree,” the bill stated.
“The DepEd shall include the University Preparatory Pathway in its education roadmap and collaborate with the CHEd (Commission on Higher Education), colleges, and universities to guarantee alignment between the curriculum and college admission standards. Colleges and universities must ensure that students can easily obtain information about their program of study or curriculum guide to adequately prepare for their college studies,” it added.
Tesda meanwhile would be tasked to meet with industry partners about offering a “variety of technical-vocational programs based on an industry-driven and industry-approved curriculum that is designed to equip students with practical skills and competencies that are at par with industry standards.”
Article continues after this advertisement“The curriculum of these programs must further ensure that students acquire functional literacy skills to guarantee their employability upon completion of their chosen program and undergoing the necessary assessment for certification,” the bill read.
Article continues after this advertisementThe bill would also allow those pursuing technical-vocational programs to follow a ladderized education system, where they will undergo a test to determine if they qualify to enroll in colleges or universities that offer this system.
“Upon finishing the technical-vocational program and successfully qualifying in the Philippine Educational Placement Test conducted by DepEd for Grades 11 and 12, or any equivalent assessments administered by the DepEd to demonstrate attainment of competencies for Grades 11 and 12, the student may enroll in colleges or universities and avail of the ladderized education program for educational advancement,” HB No. 11213 stated.
“The CHEd and Tesda shall strengthen existing policies and implementation of programs for the accreditation and recognition of prior learning of students,” it added.
Over the years, there have been calls for the government to reassess the viability of the K-12 program, as many believe it did not close the learning gap faced by many Filipino students.
One major issue before the K-12 system was that Filipino workers lacked two years of basic education, as many countries followed a 13-year pre-university program: one year of kindergarten, six years of elementary school, four years of junior high, and two years of senior high.
READ: A decade of tweaking, rethinking: Looking back at K-12 program
However, results from various assessments revealed issues with the quality of education. In December 2023, the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) reported that Filipino students who participated were five to six years behind in mathematics, science, and reading compared to their 15-year-old peers from most other participating countries.
READ: PISA shows PH students ‘5 to 6 years’ behind
Then, in June 2024 — just before former Education Secretary and Vice President Sara Duterte resigned — PISA reported that Filipino students logged a mean score of 14 on the creative thinking assessment for 15-year-olds
This was the second-lowest among 64 ranked countries.
