OPINION

lack of application of knowledge. Because it was too risky for students to enter establishments for faceto-face work immersion, sponsors had to compromise by providing them with online work immersion. These students were unable to learn and apply the skills needed to perform well in their respective work environments. Additionally, as they were unable to simulate work in a proper work environment, students weren’t able to develop the needed social and communication skills to survive in the workplace.

At the same time, DepEd can’t just simply create subjects that cater only to a specific population. STEM students could end up in the medical and information technology (IT) fields, and engineering knowledge would be useless for some students entering the medical field and could only end up being of some use for some IT students.

No matter how much DepEd adjusts its SHS curriculum, different companies will require different and specific skillsets that only college education could offer. The SHS curriculum could only offer general knowledge about a specific track. STEM students who aspire to become engineers, for example, could at best learn about circuitry due to General Physics covering it in this curriculum, but these lessons are theoretical and not applied. It’s this lack of application that makes students unready to apply for an actual engineering job.

The COVID-19 pandemic worsened the

Reviewing and ironing out the flaws of the SHS curriculum is a good step in providing some knowledge to SHS students. However, DepEd should focus and highlight work immersion as work experience, as noted earlier, is a powerful bargaining chip for students who wish to enter an entry-level job. They can’t simply change the demands of employers who want to fulfill certain tasks that require specific knowledge and skillsets. They should also focus more on education quality to polish the minds of SHS students.

A task force is one way to show that the government is aware of a problem and are on their way to solve it. No matter how much they learn about the situation, knowledge alone isn’t enough to solve it. They have to look into the problem in all facets, never overlooking one aspect in favor of another. In other words, they should put their plans into

SHS Task Force: A Well-Meant Intent Against SHS Unemployment

Institute of Development Studies found that only 20 percent of SHS graduates were admitted into the workforce. And apparently, even if SHS graduates are accepted by employers, their work is limited to lower ranks.

Addressing this issue is one of the reasons why the Senior High School National Task Force (SHSNTF) was created. The duties of the SHS-NTF include reviewing the implementation of SHS program and making policies based on the results of this review. They will also coordinate with different colleges and universities in devising an

SHS database. These only prove how beneficial the task force is for the improvement of the K to 12 program.

While it is a big challenge to achieve a higher employability rate for SHS graduates, it is definitely possible especially with the current effort of DepEd. By strengthening the education system for SHS, the government attacks the issue through its roots. They should be able to provide solution to the current curriculum’s flaws such as the lack of practical application of theoretical knowledge, the cramped school calendar, the inconducive duration of school day, the burdening number of required subjects, and the mismatch of taken subjects to future courses of the students.

The role of data gathering and analysis regarding the current SHS program and industry demands is the most important key to surpass this hurdle in the education system. Redefining education quality has a high possibility to boost the country’s competency and it cannot be acted on without adequate basis.

I believe that by untying the problem by its roots, the SHS-NTF will fulfill their responsibility to be the most ideal solution to the struggles of implementing the SHS program.

The Burning Question

by Althea David