A CEMENTED APPROACH

The 4 changes of DepEd’s improved educational system 

ALONG MALAPITAN  |  Feature Editor

March 7, 2026

As the school year changes, along comes the system it runs on. The Department of Education’s strengthened senior high school curriculum listed the alterations that they had planned—showing what separates their fortified approach against the past. 

Shared by the undersecretary of DepEd, Armando Malunes tackles the four wheels that will drive this new curriculum towards the strengthened edge of education. 

There are no more strands 

With the new curriculum, strands are removed, allowing students to choose the subjects that align with what they want to take in college. 

This offers orientation, because strands are fixed requirements with subjects that do not often provide alignment with the lessons in college. 

Electives are organized into clusters

As the strands are removed, clusters replace them. Under these two clusters are first, the academic cluster, which focuses on the intellectual teachings and subjects. Second is the technical professional, or TechPro, which provides hands-on learning and technical application subjects. 

This improves the subjects under strands, for it reduces the subjects that are quite similar, but rather focuses on the core learnings of a student. 

“For example, under the Academic cluster, students cannot take the subjects under TechPro cluster.” Malunes said.

Clusters replace strands 

Malunes tackled the core difference between clusters and strands. For him, it was a necessary change for the liberation of students to choose what subjects will align with their college. It reduces wasted time and effort, on both the educator’s and the student’s side. 

“Strands are fixed schedules required to be taken by the students. While in clusters, you are free to choose as long as you complete the required number of electives,” Malunes said.

Reduced student work loads 

With the reduced subjects, comes the reduced workloads of the students. This allows them to focus more on the core teachings throughout the school year—a key difference with the old curriculum—which separates lessons between two semesters. 

“Their workload will be reduced, kaso pinahaba lang ung mga subjects kasi sa loob ng isang school year sila pag-aaralan,” Malunes said.

With these four wheels, the strengthened curriculum plans to drive education towards the redirected path—with a more focused and efficient way of learning. 

For this cemented approach promises to fortify the learning of students, aligning their steps towards college, and hopefully beyond and out towards the reality of life. 

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