Dr. Salustiano Jimenez addressed reports saying that the parents are having problems with their children who graduated from senior high school but have no jobs until now. | CDN Photo/Niña Mae Oliverio
CEBU CITY, Philippines — The regional director of the Department of Education in Central Visayas (DepEd-7) clarified on Tuesday, October 3, that Grades 11 and 12 in the senior high school were not only for preparing for employment.
Dr. Salustiano Jimenez said this to address reports, saying that the parents were having problems with their children who graduated from senior high school but had no jobs until now.
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Not for employment only
“Ang grade 11 and 12 [are] not only for the purpose of employment. There are several exits nga ge-focus para anang atong grade 11 and 12,” Jimenez said.
(Grade 11 and 12 [are] not only for the purpose of employment. There are several exits that are being focused for our grades 11 and 12.
He said that it was evident on the senior high school tracks where besides the entrepreneurship and Technical Vocational Livelihood (TVL) track wherein students could proceed to employment after graduation, there was also an academic track.
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DepEd-7 chief: Academic track
The academic track includes the Humanities and Social Sciences (HUMSS), Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM), and the Accountancy, Business, and Management (ABM) strands.
Jimenez said that these strands would prepare the students for their tertiary education.
The primary exit of the senior high school students is to finish college to pursue their dream or career they want to take.
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Tesda certificate – DepEd-7 chief
“If ever dili na mahitabo because of whatever reason like financial or whatever reason, so at least ang bata naa siya’y ka fall back-an because kung TechVoc (TVL) iyahang track, naa na siya’y NC2 (certificate from Tesda) and ang bata sad is already 18 years old,” he said.
(If ever that will not happen because of whatever reason like financial or whatever reason, so at least the child has something to fall back on because if Tech Voc (TVL) is his track, he would already have NC2 (certificate from Tesda) and the child is alreay 18 years old.)
He said that the 18-year-old graduate would be mature enough to sign contracts for employment and be prepared to venture into job markets.
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Entrepreneurship
Besides that, the senior high school graduate may also choose to venture into entrepreneurship and become an entrepreneur.
“Sa giingon nato, basic education, basic pana siya nga education. Wala gyud na totally niingon nga kana mao na gyud iyang kuan, ge-prepare lang ang bata nga ma-ready siya sa challenges nga iyang i-face after basic education,” he said.
(We can say that that is basic education, it is really basic education. We did not say that that would be his what, we are preparing the child to be ready for the challenges that he will face after basic education.)
He clarified that it did not mean the student should immediately get a job after graduating from senior high school.
He said that the public should acknowledge that there were college graduates who could not land a job after graduating.
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Immersion program is helpful says firms
He said that sooner or later, the parents would realize that the preparation of the learners in the basic education could hone their skills so they would be prepared for their future endeavors.
Moreover, Jimenez said that with the immersion program in basic education, the firms and institutions could see potential among the students.
Through the immersion program, the firms could identify to whom they would send their job offer later on.
In 2019, former Education Secretary Leonor Briones defended criticisms against the K to 12 program, saying that the program was not a failure.
To recall, the 2018 data of Programme for International Student Assessment (Pisa) showed that the Philippines were among the 79 countries which fared worst in reading comprehension and second-lowest in mathematical and scientific literacy.
Briones said that students in senior high school scored higher than those in junior high school and added that the impact of senior high school must be felt.
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