THE STRENGTHENED SHS CURRICULUM – REAL CHANGES, REAL IMPACT

June 28, 2025 Metro BLISTT

BAGUIO CITY

As the Strengthened Senior High School Curriculum rolls out in selected pilot schools across the Cordillera, its effects are quickly being felt in classrooms, staff rooms, and homes. Students face deeper lessons, teachers carry heavier loads, and parents balance hope with concern as the country tests a new direction in education. The curriculum, currently being piloted in 841 schools nationwide, reduces the number of core subjects in Grade 11 from eight or more to just five: communication, math, science, Filipino history and society, and life and career skills.

Many students say this change helps them focus. “Having fewer subjects really helped me focus better in class. I don’t feel as overwhelmed as before,” said Kristin Quiaoit, a Grade 12 student from Baguio City National High School. “But the activities and performance tasks go deeper than usual. It’s easier to concentrate, but also more demanding in a different way.” Teachers, on the other hand, are navigating a different kind of pressure. Aljohn Philip Vidal, a teacher at Saint Louis University, said, “The curriculum didn’t challenge my teaching skills as much as my ability to manage added responsibilities. Realigning assessments, creating new resources, and guiding students through the new structure are exhausting.”

Vidal also teaches the newly introduced subject Life and Career Skills. “It’s fulfilling but demanding. And with the increased hands-on tasks and expanded immersion requirements, balancing everything has become harder, especially without added compensation,” he added. For Grade 12 students, the new curriculum extends work immersion to 640 hours—almost double the previous requirement. While it offers more exposure to real-world experience, many worry about whether all students will have equal access to quality placements. Parents are watching the changes with mixed feelings. “It’s good that our children can now focus better with fewer subjects,” said Michelle Quiaoit, a parent of a Grade 12 student. “But the 640-hour immersion is worrying.

Not all families have connections with companies or transport. I hope the schools will really support the students so no one is left behind.” Educators also raise concerns about how public schools—often under-resourced—can support students through this extended immersion. “We need partnerships with companies, agencies, or local offices. Without those, it’s difficult to meet the goals of the curriculum,” Vidal emphasized. During DepEd-CAR’s 2025 2nd Quarter Kapihan, Assistant Regional Director Ronald Castillo said that the pilot phase exists to learn and improve. “This is why it’s a pilot—to listen, adjust, and make sure the system works for everyone,” he noted. For the Cordillera region, the Strengthened Senior High School Curriculum is not just a set of changes on paper—it’s a reshaping of daily realities. Whether in classrooms, homes, or immersion sites, its true test lies not only in outcomes, but in how well it works for those it touches most.

Jhomel Keith Nuezca / UC Intern