The Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines (CEAP) supports calls for a further review of the proposed Strengthened Senior High School (SHS) Program following a public hearing held by the Senate Committee on Basic Education on May 8, chaired by Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian.
Represented by the Coordinating Council of Private Educational Associations (COCOPEA), CEAP raised concerns about the program on private schools' structure, enrollment, and infrastructure. Other stakeholders also emphasized the need for sufficient resources and capacity building, particularly for small schools.
EDCOM 2 Executive Director Dr. Karol Mark Yee reported that 70% of standalone SHS institutions are small. Sen. Gatchalian recommended a 50-50 balance of urban and rural school representation in the pilot study. The Department of Education confirmed that 727 schools—567 public and 160 private—will take part in the pilot.
CEAP echoes Sen. Gatchalian's call to revisit key areas of the proposal, including the viability of electives and the college readiness of graduates. CEAP will release its position on the program, advocating equal opportunities for public and private schools.