EDITORIAL

Path to somewhere

JOY BELMONTE  |  Opinion Editor

March 7, 2026

Students of senior high school must choose wisely according to their senior high school track that must align with their college path and future job track. Upon evaluation, surveys, and feedback from different sectors of education, including parents' responses along with advisors, the quality of learning has piloted a strengthened electives in different schools in the Philippines, as reported by the Department of Education (DepEd).

A discussion of DepEd undersecretary Armando Malunes stated the new key features already secured since school year 2026 to 2027, for senior high school students. The improved curriculum program seeks to align tracks with college on higher educations to prepare them for a job. 

Reduce subjects, reduce academic struggles

Upon the implementation, the previous fifteen subjects emerged into five core subjects, focused on combining various asignatures. This is such a vital consideration in learners' mental health and time management, mainly focusing on tackling their soon-to-be college degrees or courses to grasp professionalism from their experienced practical senior high school years. 

The field exposure strands are fixed pathways to ought student to precisely choose their passion, within the streamlines and updated electives, it organizes a cluster into group-related structures that correspond to the direction towards their goals and success. Unlike the previous program, the updated time allotment is calculated in the whole school year, despite the flexibility of academic-related submission such as requirements of research proposals, and it is maintainable due to work immersion, concise parts of the schedule.

Scholars are less stressed in struggling between two tracks, which are the academic and technical professions. Comparing this from four tracks options for junior high school students entering their senior years, the two tracks aim to teach a significant cluster tailored to immediately impact society as well, since students are more practical and trained in technical skills to face the "real-life".

The expectations among undergraduates

Some argue that senior high school must be a waste of time to immediately level up in college due to the fact that in the past curriculum there are a bunch of subjects added that seem unrelated or meaningless in college. There are also redundancy taken place that must of graduate senior high school still need a college degree.

In reality, oppressed by the Undersecretary of DepEd, "No students are legitimately capable of going along with life flows after they graduate to prepare in college," However, that changed since a new key feature was introduced and piloted in the listed school, and so far it is seen as convenient and effective.

The tailored procedures steps impact the society, given that the DepEd program students are now free to explore the depth of their dreams, and this progress reflects on students what to expect in the reality of their chosen direction, and teaches them how worlds work outside the school.

To choose a path is not enough if a student is unsure of their desired role to impact society in the near future. They must choose wisely on their own road to success, because a desire without ambition is nothing but delusion.

Strengthening the quality of education starts with proper pilots anchored to meet the standards in reality. Students are still responsible to work in diligence and professionally, and must learn from their basic experience journey to combat the difficulties soon face.

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