New SHS Program: This could be fire or put us on fire
AS much as I like to say that this is great,,,,, its just a BIG question mark for me.
Like, whats with the extra steps? Why are there only 2 strands? WE CAN ACTUALLY PICK SUBJECTS NOW?? HOLD UP, let's buckle up and let me tell you what I think: It's a rollercoaster, to say the least, reading the articles and stuff about this new curriculum. If you're asking me, "Jay, is it a nay or a yay?" WELL, it's actually both! It is great to be able to pick your subjects, and it looks promising on paper. BUT if you think about it hard enough, there is nothing great about it because it changes NOTHING. We still don't know how many subjects we can choose or how many we NEED to pass. More immersion work? Okay, that's kind of buns, but it would indeed be useful in the long run. Nonetheless, what exactly is the point here? I am thinking about this as a student and not an observer, it DOES look good on paper, and in retrospect, it might look even better than what we have right now. But how much of this is really good for the students and teachers? Equally, we will be put on fire with how much work we have to do, but the idea of this new curriculum is good. (KEYWORD: IDEA) As I said, it actually changes nothing but adds more steps to make it seem "sophisticated" in a way. Maybe to simulate how it would be in college, after all, shs curriculum is here to prep us for college, but this seems to be doing more harm than good. What makes me go "huh" is the fact that they cut it down to 2 strands. Academic and TechPro. It's.... weird to be honest. It ruins the whole point of a "Strand" because strands are there to categorize specialized fields of study under a broader academic track, and removing it just destroys its whole purpose. Sure, it allows flexibility and being able to do what you want, but why make this change? WE can absolutely have ACTUAL electives and keep the strands we have, but why cut it down into two? It doesn't make sense! Hence, it doesn't change anything but gives us more steps to take.
Another concern is how the faculty and the facility will be able to keep up with this? Seeing the vast selection of subjects, there is bound to be some problems with facilitating, and a lot more overworked teachers. The current curriculum is already tiring for students and teachers alike, but how much more damage will this do to the school? It wouldn't be a problem if the school had enough funds and facilities for this, but it's just not a good look, especially when you have to cater to a lot of students. I guess it's not ALL bad, especially the core subjects going from 15 to 5 because you need room for electives so its like an eye for an eye. A comment on making Immersion longer: It would be great to have the money for it! because the designated facility may or may not be far from where you live, so those unfortunate students who have to commute are going to take the brunt of the work. My final verdict: It's not great, but it's not a bad idea... I'd even say I'd agree to it. It's just very ambitious, and It all boils down to the school's ability to make this work, and the government too. It's gonna put us and everyone on fire. The electives are fire, tho, but other than that, implementing this literally does nothing IF THEY DON'T MAKE IT WORK. 'Tis but a humble opinion from yours truly, Jay
Sources:
https://www.deped.gov.ph/strengthened-shs-program/
https://www.deped.gov.ph/2025/04/09/deped-urges-stakeholders-to-join-public-consultation-for-strengthened-shs-curriculum/#:~:text=The%20new%20subjects%20are%20Effective,ly/SHS%2DCurriculum%2DGuide
https://edcom2.gov.ph/deped-ched-should-review-proposed-shs-electives-college-subjects-to-ensure-they-are-implementation-ready/#:~:text=The%20new%20SHS%20curriculum%2C%20which,15%20to%20a%20more%20focused