A Nation's Future on the Line: DepEd’s Call for a Collective Voice in Shaping the Strengthened Senior High School Curriculum

Wazzup Pilipinas!?

In a pivotal move that may redefine the educational journey of millions of Filipino learners, the Department of Education (DepEd) is opening the doors of reform to the public. Through an online public consultation launched from April 4 to 11, 2025, the nation is being called upon to take an active role in shaping the future of the Senior High School (SHS) curriculum—a core pillar of the country’s education system.

This bold and transparent initiative, made under the banner of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s administration’s education reform agenda, is not merely a policy update. It is a rallying cry for teachers, students, parents, industry leaders, and the public to weigh in on the very backbone of how we educate and equip the youth of tomorrow.

From Policy to Purpose: Why This Matters

Education is often heralded as the great equalizer—a means to uplift individuals and entire communities. But for too long, the SHS curriculum has been challenged by misalignments with labor demands, redundancy in core subjects, and inefficiencies in skill development. The newly proposed Strengthened SHS Curriculum seeks to change all that.

This is not just about reducing subjects or restructuring tracks. It’s about recalibrating the system to serve its purpose: nurturing critical thinkers, competent professionals, and compassionate citizens.

The Core of the Reform: Less is More, Depth Over Breadth

One of the most significant changes is the reduction of core subjects. From a cumbersome 15 per semester, students in Grade 11 will now focus on just five for the entire year. These include:

Effective Communication

Life Skills

General Mathematics

General Science

Pag-aaral ng Kasaysayan at Lipunang Pilipino

This streamlined approach aims to cultivate deep, lasting competencies instead of overwhelming learners with a volume of fragmented knowledge. With more time allocated for mastery, students will have the space to understand, apply, and internalize lessons critical to real-life contexts.

Two Tracks, Infinite Possibilities

Gone are the days of a cluttered selection of tracks. The SHS program will now revolve around two clear pathways: Academic and TechPro (Technical-Professional). While arts and sports electives remain, they now fall under the Academic umbrella, simplifying the structure while still honoring diverse interests.

Electives will also be more flexible—organized into clusters that allow students to mix and match subjects regardless of their strand. This introduces a fresh dynamic: no more being boxed in. Instead, learners can craft a more personalized academic experience suited to their career aspirations and individual strengths.

Doorways to the Future: A System That Follows the Learner

Perhaps the most empowering reform is the introduction of the “doorway option”—a system that lets students select electives based on their desired exit pathways, whether toward higher education, employment, entrepreneurship, or middle-level skills development.

This makes the educational journey not just a conveyor belt of requirements, but a meaningful pursuit shaped by a learner’s goals and purpose.

A Shared Responsibility: Your Voice Matters

What sets this reform apart is not just its scope, but its inclusivity. DepEd is making it clear: curriculum reform is not a job for policymakers alone. It is a collective mission. Everyone—from the classroom teacher in Baguio to the parent in Basilan, the industry leader in Cebu to the student in Davao—has a stake in this transformation.

And now, everyone has a platform to speak.

The draft Curriculum Guides, consultation packet, and platform are all available online for easy access:

Consultation Platform: https://bit.ly/SHSPublicConsultationPlatform

Consultation Packet: https://tinyurl.com/SHS-Consultation-Packet-PDF

Curriculum Guides: https://bit.ly/SHS-Curriculum-Guide

From Dialogue to Legacy

More than 2,000 voices have already been heard in regional consultations from January to February 2025. But this is just the beginning. The final curriculum will only be as effective as the breadth and depth of the feedback it receives.

In this defining moment, the Department of Education isn't just asking for opinions. It is asking for participation. It is asking for ownership. It is inviting us all to be co-authors of a future where the Filipino learner is no longer left behind—but is ahead, ready, and thriving.

Will you answer the call?

Because the future of Philippine education isn’t written in classrooms alone—it is written in the hearts, minds, and voices of an engaged and empowered nation.

New teacher licensure policy seen to boost DepEd workforce, improve quality of instruction

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In line with the vision of Bagong Pilipinas, the Department of Education (DepEd) is poised to strengthen its teaching workforce and improve the quality of classroom instruction with the signing of a joint policy by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) that aligns the Licensure Examination for Professional Teachers (LEPT) with the updated teacher education curriculum.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who earlier directed the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM II) to propose and support urgent solutions to licensing gaps while awaiting legislative reforms, lauded the policy as a timely intervention.

“We are aligning our systems to ensure the Licensure Examination reflects the actual competencies needed in classrooms today—whether in early childhood education, special needs education, or the many subjects taught in high schools across the country,” the President said.

Signed at Malacañang, the joint memorandum circular (JMC) introduces specialized licensure examinations for specific degree programs in teacher education. These include Bachelor of Early Childhood Education (BECEd), Bachelor of Special Needs Education (BSNEd), Bachelor of Technical-Vocational Teacher Education (BTVTEd), Bachelor of Physical Education (BPEd), and Bachelor of Culture and Arts Education (BCAEd).

The policy aims to ensure that graduates are assessed based on the competencies they developed in their chosen specialization, thus producing more classroom-ready professionals.

For DepEd, the largest employer of teachers in the country, this development is expected to have far-reaching benefits. Education Secretary Sonny Angara, who serves as Chairperson of the Teacher Education Council (TEC), emphasized the importance of linking teacher preparation, licensure, and deployment to ensure quality education in every corner of the country.

“Our schools are only as good as our teachers. They are the heart and soul of our system. It is up to us to ensure that our learners get the very best quality of teaching. With this agreement, we are taking concrete steps toward building a better quality of education for the country,” Angara said.

The policy is seen to address long-standing teacher shortages in specialized learning areas which would allow DepEd to recruit teachers whose licenses and training match the actual demands in public schools.

“This JMC has the potential of addressing drawbacks in teacher supply, particularly in early childhood education and technical-vocational education in senior high schools, as graduates will be encouraged to take these programs in our teacher education institutions,” TEC Executive Director Dr. Jennie Jocson said.

With graduates assessed through examinations tailored to their field of study, DepEd can ensure that teaching assignments better match a teacher’s expertise, a critical factor in improving instructional quality and learning outcomes across the basic education system.

The policy was crafted by TEC with support from EDCOM II, and signed by CHED Chairperson J. Prospero De Vera III and PRC Chairperson Atty. Charito Zamora. PRC is expected to begin phased implementation of the new licensure tracks in the September 2025 examination cycle.

The initiative is part of a broader effort to professionalize and modernize the teaching profession, with the ultimate goal of delivering better learning experiences and outcomes for Filipino students.

Marching Toward Mastery: DepEd's Bold Preparations for Global Education Benchmarks

Wazzup Pilipinas,!?

In the echoing halls of the Department of Education, a quiet but resolute transformation is underway. With Education Secretary Sonny Angara at the helm, the Philippines is not merely aiming to participate in global education assessments—it is preparing to make a statement.

Since stepping into office in July 2024, Secretary Angara has heeded President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s mandate to elevate learning outcomes in the country. And at the forefront of this crusade is the Philippines' re-entry into the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA)—an international large-scale assessment (ILSA) that serves as the world’s benchmark in evaluating 15-year-olds' competencies in reading, math, and science.

But this is not just about taking another test. This is about accountability. This is about advancement. This is about charting a new course toward educational excellence.

The Anatomy of Preparedness

The Department of Education (DepEd) has not left anything to chance. With the bitter lessons of the 2022 PISA participation still fresh—where logistical setbacks and limited readiness marred the nation’s efforts—Sec. Angara initiated a full-scale, systemic preparation that began in October 2024.

He convened his Executive Committee (Execom) and launched a meticulous internal audit, examining over 4 million 15-year-old learners who fit the PISA demographic. From school infrastructure to teacher capability, and from academic readiness to community support systems, no stone was left unturned.

By November, an audit framework was implemented to ensure that participating schools were not only capable but positioned to thrive. Come December, an OECD-authorized contractor identified 208 diverse schools across the archipelago—representing the full range of public, private, and science institutions—ensuring an accurate sampling of the nation’s educational landscape.

Empowering the Frontlines

In what could be described as a decentralized revolution, the Execom assigned regional focal persons to monitor and support each school’s readiness. The gaps—be it in internet access, laptop availability, or even exam-site infrastructure—were addressed swiftly with targeted maintenance and augmentation funds.

Equally vital was the intellectual empowerment of teachers. In collaboration with Khan Academy Philippines and Frontlearners, DepEd reinforced educators’ subject matter mastery and digital fluency, ensuring they could support learners in both content and context.

By February 2025, the final list of student-participants was released—randomly selected to ensure fair representation. These learners weren’t merely handed test dates; they were guided through digital familiarization sessions designed to sharpen computer literacy, analytical thinking, and quantitative reasoning.

A Turning Point in March

March 2025 marked the start of the computerized PISA rollout. For the first time, the Philippines approached the global examination not with apprehension but with confidence. As the exams conclude this second week of April, a new precedent has been set.

No longer reactive. No longer unprepared. This is a DepEd ready to lead.

Accountability for the Future

“There are always questions when you take on global comparisons,” Angara said in a candid Execom session. “But the only way to grow is to measure yourself—honestly, and with humility.”

Indeed, the Secretary is embracing both criticism and aspiration, seeing PISA not as a contest, but as a compass—a tool to navigate the direction of Philippine education in a world that demands more than mediocrity.

As the nation awaits the official results by September 2026, the Department understands that success is not only measured by scores but by how well it listens to what those scores reveal. For Angara, these data points will not just be figures—they will be fuel for reforms.

The Bigger Picture

This is not just about a test.

It’s about breaking the cycle of unpreparedness. It’s about recognizing where we fall short, and acting on it with courage. It’s about building an educational system where no child is left behind—not in capability, not in opportunity, and not in vision.

In the global classroom, the Philippines is no longer sitting at the back. With determination, strategy, and a fierce commitment to accountability, it is stepping forward—ready to learn, ready to lead, and ready to rise.

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