DepEd extends voucher program
THE DEPARTMENT of Education (DepEd) is extending its voucher program to 17,751 remaining Grade 11 students enrolled in state and local universities and colleges until they graduate, a department official told congressmen on Monday.
Earlier, the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) ordered the discontinuance of offering senior high school (SHS) programs at state universities and colleges (SUCs) and local universities and colleges (LUCs).
“The Vice President has already given out instructions that DepEd will again be extending its voucher program to the Grade 11 learners in SUCs and LUCs for this current school year,” Education Undersecretary Michael T. Poa told the House basic education committee.
With this declaration, the department assures students enrolling for Grade 12 next school year to enjoy the benefit of the voucher system.
In cutting the SHS programs, CHED Chairman J. Prospero E. De Vera III told the same committee tat SUCs and LUCs would need additional facilities for tertiary education students, citing increased enrolment in SUCs in the last three years.
“We have to remember that the decision to offer senior high under the DepEd-CHED agreement was an optional provision based on the availability of rooms and teachers in public higher education,” Mr. De Vera said.
He noted that as of Jan. 11, 53 out of the 103 SUCs are not offering the Grade 11 program, while 52 have stopped offering Grade 12.
He added that out of the 114 LUCs, 104 no longer offer Grade 11 while 97 do not offer Grade 12 anymore. — Beatriz Marie D. Cruz