Senator: Retain SHS, shorten college

Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian defended the retention of senior high school (SHS) and pushed for a shorter college track, warning that abolishing Grades 11 and 12 would misalign the Philippines with nearly all education systems worldwide and risk further isolating Filipino graduates.

- 

Out of 214 countries reviewed by his office, 212 or 99.5% implement more than 10 years of basic education, Gatchalian said in a radio interview on Saturday, citing a research paper his team compiled for education proposals.

"Almost all countries have adopted 11, 12, or even 13 years of basic education. This shows that K to 12 has become the global standard. We need to align with the rest of the world," Gatchalian told dzBB.

Gatchalian, who chaired the Senate basic education committee during the 19th Congress, has filed a bill proposing a shift to a three-year college model.

His proposed "Three-Year College Education (3CE) Act" would streamline undergraduate programs by eliminating redundant general education subjects that are already taught in high school, allowing students to focus earlier on their majors.