THE SECOND Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2) has urged the Department of Education (DepEd) and the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) to collaborate on the upcoming revision of the Senior High School curriculum to ensure that graduates are college-ready.

EDCOM 2 Co-Chairpersons Rep. Roman Romulo and Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian emphasized the need for the two agencies to work together on the revisions and explore ways to streamline the program’s implementation.

“When K-12 was introduced in 2013, it promised that Senior High School graduates would be job-ready or college-ready. But this is not the case we are seeing now,” Romulo said.

In a hearing conducted by the House Committee on Basic Education, DepEd presented plans to revamp the Senior High School curriculum, set to be implemented in the 2025-2026 school year.

DepEd plans to reduce SHS tracks from four to two: the Technical Professional track and the Academic track.

According to Asec. Janir Datukan, Assistant Secretary for Curriculum and Teaching, this simplification aims to provide exit opportunities for SHS graduates, whether into higher education or employment.

The redesigned curriculum will also see a drastic reduction in the number of required subjects, decreasing from 31 to an estimated 7-20 subjects. These include four core subjects and up to 16 elective subjects, with options for doorway or cross-tracking.

Romulo urged CHED and DepEd to ensure that the revamped SHS curriculum aligns with the core competencies required for college readiness.

He emphasized that CHED, as the governing body for higher education, should provide clear guidelines to DepEd on the specific knowledge, skills, and abilities that students need to be successful in college.

“Basic education has been extended, but there have been no changes in the general education subjects in college. CHED says students are still not college-ready and need bridging programs,” Romulo said.

Gatchalian echoed Romulo’s sentiments, urging CHED to consider removing the need for bridging programs in college curricula.