President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Tuesday ordered the rationalization of the Senior High School (SHS) Curriculum.

“So, ito lang iyong basics na inutos sa atin ng Pangulo. Iyong pag-rationalize noong senior high school curriculum,” Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary Juan Edgardo Angara said in a Malacanang briefing on Tuesday following a sectoral meeting with the President earlier in the day on the proposed education cabinet cluster.

Angara said DepEd is planning to reduce the usual 22 subjects per academic track by making the others voluntary for students.

“Hindi natin sila babawasan ng kukunin nila pero gagawin nating voluntary or elective na lang siya,” Angara said.

“So, gagawa tayo ng core for all four tracks na common na iyon ang kahit anong gawin ng bata he is well-equipped ? may reading and writing skills siya; may communications skills siya; may personal development or soft skills siya; may physical education siya ? so, he’s a well-rounded person kahit anong gawin niya at may foundational skills siya,” he added.

Angara said the student’s electives and chosen track must also complement.

He said Marcos also directed DepEd to link up with industries and ensure SHS graduates could acquire high-quality jobs.

“Iyong link-up namin with industries for senior high school ? iyan iyong bilin ni Pangulo na kailangan maganda iyong tsansa niyang makakuha ng trabaho at hindi lang pangkaraniwang trabaho kundi iyong dekalidad na trabaho na maganda iyong suweldo at makakabuhay ng isang tao at kaniyang pamilya," Angara pointed out.

In February, Marcos ordered the integration of skills training into the K-12 curriculum.

The President also reiterated his instruction to the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), Department of Education (DepEd) and Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) to collaborate closely with industries so that education and skills of the graduates meet the needs of employers. Presidential News Desk