MANILA - Amid government's plans to extend basic education by two years, the country's premier public science high school is planning a parallel move in hopes of enhancing its already advanced science program and better prepare students for specialized studies in college.
The Philippine Science High School has initiated studies and consultations within its executive committee for a proposed extension of its curriculum by two years, said PSHS System Executive Director Filma Brawner.
The plan coincides with the Department of Education's move to extend the 10-year basic education curriculum by two years to produce high school graduates already employable even without higher education. DepEd is set to roll out details of its plan on Oct. 5.
A specialized school system, PSHS's 11 campuses nationwide are under the administrative supervision of the Department of Science and Technology.
“My idea is that we may be able to keep with the [DepEd] proposal that we have a six-year science curriculum. We're still studying it, we need to have some studies, we need to have some kind of validation of the processes,” Brawner told reporters yesterday.
The proposed six-year PSHS curriculum may include special programs or specialized science tracks to prepare students for college, Brawner said.
“There will be some kind of streaming, just like other schools abroad. At a certain time, there will be streaming where they (students) go into specializations, like if they want to take a course in engineering, they take the engineering track,” she said.
The renowned high school, known for its tough screening process, has been developing students towards taking priority college courses “where we need more people, more human resources,” she said. Some 3,000 students are currently enrolled in PHSH campuses across the country
Brawner said school officials have conducted initial discussions and are set to hold further meetings to tackle the proposal in detail. The school also hopes to take part in consultations on the basic education revamp with DepEd.
“When the additional two years will be put in secondary level, I think it would be an upgrade even more, develop more the [student's] potentials, and perhaps for the additional two years will make more mature and they can decide better on what particular course they would want to go to,” she said.
“Right now our kids graduate at age 16, so at this time we look at it as still quite young, so sometimes they make certain decisions on what course to take in college, they enroll and drop out,” Brawner added.
PSHS on Monday launched a fund-raising drive to gather at least P50 million in the run-up to its 50th anniversary in 2014. Funds will be used for repairs of deteriorating facilities in the PSHS flagship in Quezon City and to improve facilities in its branches.
As alumna Jocelyn Sanchez-Mendoza noted: “The school's facilities have not kept up with the school's growth.”
Funds will be used to upgrade PSHS's laboratories, the school gym, canteen and audio-visual system.
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