SENATOR Sherwin Gatchalian slammed the government’s policy on the hiring of K to 12 senior high school graduates, calling it a great disservice to learners and their families who had to shoulder the financial burden of two more years of high school.

Gatchalian cited the Civil Service Commission’s Memorandum Circular No. 12 s. 2019, government corporations and agencies that accept high school graduates do not make a distinction between those who graduated from senior high school and those who graduated from the old ten-year system of basic education.

The senator said that the policy shows that for senior high school graduates who want to apply in government, two more years of high school have no added value.

“This is an unfair practice being done by the government. Ipinangako natin noon na ang K to 12 ay magbibigay ng trabaho sa ating senior high school graduates pero gobyerno mismo ang hindi nagbibigay sa kanila ng oportunidad. We’re lumping them together with graduates of the ten-year high school system. Again, there’s no added value for our senior high school students in the eyes of the government,” Gatchalian lamented.

“For example, I’m a senior high school student but when I apply in government, I’m actually equated to a graduate of the ten-year high school system. There’s no increase in value for me so why would I add two more years if I’m equated to a graduate of ten years of high school,” he added.

The chairman of the Senate Committee on Basic Education asked CSC to submit a definite timetable on addressing challenges linked to the government’s hiring of senior high school graduates.

A 2018 study by the Philippine Institute for Development Studies showed that education requirements of first level positions in the civil service have not been adjusted to consider senior high school graduates.