NO GRADE 11 students in the city will be displaced in the upcoming school year (SY) 2024-2025, a Department of Education (DepEd) Davao City Schools Division official revealed.
DepEd Davao City clarified its stance following the memo issued by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) on Dec. 18, 2023, ordering the state universities and colleges (SUCs) and local universities and colleges (LUCs) to discontinue offering senior high school.
City schools division superintendent (SDS) Reynante Solitario said SUCs/LUCs in the city no longer presently offer SHS, so no senior high learners will be affected.
“Davao City does not have SUC/LUC that offers senior high school education, therefore, there are no reported cases of displaced senior high school students from the existing SUC/ LUC of the city,” Solitario told TIMES on Jan. 4.
The city SDS, however, vowed to accommodate students affected by the discontinuation, stressing they can still enroll in public secondary schools offering basic education in the city.
“Should there be displaced SHS learners from other cities, municipalities, or divisions seeking enrollment in the public secondary schools of Davao City, the DepEd Schools Division of Davao City stands ready to accommodate and support their educational needs,” he added.
Education Undersecretary Michael Poa said in a media interview on Wednesday that affected students can either enroll in public schools or private schools as they can still avail of the voucher program.
Poa said the beneficiaries of the voucher program are not affected as no incoming Grade 11 in the current school year were accepted in SUCs/LUCs when the S.Y. started. However, Grade 12 enrolled in these institutions were still provided vouchers to finish their studies.
CHED reiterated its decision on CMO 32 and 33 series of 2015 and 2016, the memo issued, that engagement of these institutions in SHS shall only be for the transition period SY 2016-2017 until SY. 2020-2021 only.
“The Department of Education has already issued a notice, through Private Education Assistance Committee, that beginning SY 2023-2024, there should be no more Government Assistance to Students and Teachers in Private Education and Teachers in Private Education beneficiaries from SUCs/LUCs, except those who will be entering Grade 12 in SY 2023-2024 to finish their basic education and that SUCS and LUCs with laboratory school can accept enrolled but will no longer receive vouchers,” CHED memo reads.
The memo further directs SUC/LUC Presidents/ OIC to discontinue accepting SHS enrolled “as there is no longer legal basis to fund” it.
