Education Secretary Sonny Angara acknowledged on Friday the shortcomings in the implementation of the Senior High School (SHS) curriculum under the K to 12 program. However, he emphasized that the decision to abolish or retain SHS lies with Congress.
This comes in response to Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada’s proposal to remove the SHS level via Senate Bill No. 3001. Estrada argued that 12 years after the K to 12 law—Republic Act No. 10533—was enacted, SHS still fails to deliver its promise of producing job-ready graduates.
Angara, a former senator now leading the Department of Education (DepEd), admitted that the past decade saw poor implementation of SHS. “There were too many subjects, and students were boxed in without the freedom to choose,” he said. Despite these issues, Angara clarified that only Congress has the authority to discontinue SHS.
In response to the criticisms, DepEd is set to launch a revised SHS curriculum in School Year 2025–2026. A total of 841 schools nationwide will participate in the pilot implementation, which was crafted after extensive consultations with education experts and stakeholders.
If the results of the pilot are favorable, DepEd may mandate all senior high schools to adopt the new curriculum by School Year 2026–2027. This effort aligns with the return to the pre-pandemic academic calendar, with classes starting June 16, 2025, and ending March 31, 2026.
Meanwhile, Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, chair of the Senate Committee on Basic Education, stressed that K to 12’s initial goal—to reduce college duration—must be honored. He urged DepEd and the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) to ensure there is no duplication in college curricula.
“Students should not be forced into extended college years because the K to 12 promise remains unfulfilled,” Gatchalian said.
Estrada’s bill retains the core values of RA 10533 but simplifies the basic education structure. His proposal includes one year of kindergarten, six years of elementary education, and four years of high school, removing SHS entirely while aiming to maintain global competitiveness in education standards.