Taking action on the application of the released memorandum on December 18, the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) confirmed the postponement of senior high school programs in the country.
In December, CHED Chairperson Prospero De Vera III announced that the state universities and colleges (SUCs) and local universities and colleges (LUCs) nationwide will no longer accommodate senior high school programs.
This decision was backed up by the prior agreement of the government that the SUCs and LUCs would halt offering such a program considering its funding capacity for students, noting its indicated limited funds from SY 2016-2017 to SY 2020-2021 as a transitory period.
Along with the putting off of the senior high school program, the Department of Education also disclosed that the Private Education Assistance Committee will no longer provide government assistance to students and teachers in its field.
Following this memorandum, the government clarified that the students who are currently enrolled in the curriculum taking up Grade 12 are not included in this postponement for them to have ample time to finish their basic education.
The implementation of the senior high school program nationwide started in 2016 and was implemented by former president Benigno Aquino III, adding two years in the high school phase for students to enhance their knowledge.