MANILA – The Department of Education (DepEd) announced on Tuesday that it will continue to extend vouchers for senior high school (SHS) students admitted by state colleges and universities (SUCs) and local universities and colleges (LUCs) for School Year (SY) 2023-2024.
With this, the agency further noted that these SHS students will continue to be beneficiaries of the Senior High School Voucher Program (SHSVP) until they finish their Grade 12 studies in SY 2024-2025 "to prevent any displacement of learners."
This, was after DepEd learned that Grade 11 learners were still accepted despite its issuance of DepEd Order No. 20 s. 2023, which says that there should be no more Grade 11 SHSVP beneficiaries in SUCs and LUCs.
"We would like to remind our SUCs and LUCs that DepEd will no longer be extending SHSVP to Grade 11 learners in their schools beginning SY 2024-2025," the DepEd said in its statement.
"Hence, the acceptance of new Senior High School learners by SUCs and LUCs shall only be made in accordance with their charters and charged to their respective funds," it added.
According to the implementing rules and regulations of Republic Act 10533 or the Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013, the transition period for non-DepEd public schools or SUCs/LUCs in the implementation of SHSVP is only until the end of SY 2021-2022.
This was supported by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) by issuing Memorandum Order Nos. 32, 33 s. 2015, and 35 s. 2016 which all state that the engagement of SUCs and LUCs in basic education through SHS shall be limited to the K-12 transition period only or from SY 2016-2017 to SY 2020-2021.
Supposedly, only learners who will be in Grade 12 in SY 2023-2024 will remain as SHSVP beneficiaries to finish their basic education.
The DepEd is set to execute another agreement with CHED to formalize the arrangement.
SHSVP is a financial assistance wherein subsidies, in a form of vouchers, are being provided to qualified SHS learners enrolled in institutions participating in the program. (PNA)
