Two major Catholic education bodies have warned against the proposed removal of the Senior High School (SHS) program, calling the move “dangerously shortsighted” and a threat to hard-won educational reforms.
In a joint statement released Tuesday, the Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines (CEAP) and the Episcopal Commission on Catholic Education of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP-ECCE) said that eliminating SHS would undermine a decade’s worth of national progress in aligning Philippine education with global standards.
“The proposal to remove Senior High School (SHS) from the Philippine education system is not only untimely, it is dangerously shortsighted,” the statement read. “The Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013 was a hard-won reform that took years of national dialogue, intersectoral consultation, research, and legislative action to bring to life.”
Implemented in 2016, the SHS program added two years to the country’s basic education cycle, aiming to improve college and workforce readiness. The Church groups said this expansion was not a policy accident but “a product of vision” that sought to align education in the Philippines with ASEAN and global frameworks.
Acknowledging concerns over costs and implementation challenges, the statement urged the government to enhance and expand the SHS Voucher Program to improve access, especially for students in underserved and marginalized areas, rather than abolish the entire program.
They also stressed the value of public-private partnerships in filling access gaps, particularly in remote areas. “More than 1.2 million students currently benefit from government-funded vouchers that allow them to study in private SHS institutions.”
Critics have raised concerns about the SHS program’s effectiveness in preparing graduates for employment, but the Catholic groups maintained that the solution lies in systemic reforms—such as stronger industry partnerships, better alignment of curriculum with local job markets, and improved work immersion programs—rather than discontinuing the program.
The statement recognized existing issues with curriculum and teaching quality but defended the integrity of the SHS framework. It emphasized the need for targeted reforms, including the creation of Regional Centers of Excellence to support underperforming schools, partnerships with higher education institutions for teacher development, and a streamlined, job-relevant curriculum.
“Rather than breaking what is still being built, government should commit to a full review of SHS implementation and institute reforms where necessary without sacrificing its gains,” the statement read.
“Reform, not repeal, is the only rational and just way forward,” it added.
