THE Senior High School Voucher Program is here to stay. This Corner is publishing in toto the official statement of DepEd:
The Department of Education (DepEd) would like to clarify the account of Secretary Leonor Briones published by GMA News Online last June 23, regarding the Senior High School Voucher Program (SHS-VP).
The SHS-VP is an annual program of the Department which provides financial assistance to qualified Grade 10 completers who want to pursue their desired SHS education in private schools, state universities and colleges, and local universities and colleges. Recently, there has been some confusion over whether or not the SHS-VP will continue for the incoming school year, as Secretary Briones mentioned the Php 8-Billion fund reduction (1.7B coming from the SHS Voucher Program) of the Department for the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act fund.
DepEd would like to reassure the public of its commitment to continue with the program. While this is a big challenge, we continue to pursue other funding to provide this aid as it is our learners’ right. We are finalizing the implementation of this program, but still require further information on the demand based on this year’s enrollment. DepEd is expecting the results of the Learner Enrollment and Survey Forms (LESF) to provide the necessary information. The Department shall open the application for the SHS-VP for SY 2020-2021 once we have the necessary information and funding in place.
DepEd expresses its gratitude to all our stakeholders for their cooperation, patience, and support. The Department is taking the necessary steps to ensure that the implementation of the Senior High School Voucher Program will continue, despite the national health emergency that the country is facing.
Meanwhile, Davao City Mayor Sara Z. Duterte-Carpio said that should the Department of Education-Davao Region (DepEd-Davao) need a radio station for its modular distance learning for the incoming school opening, the City Government is willing to allow them to use the city-owned radio station.
The mayor mentioned it in a radio interview on Friday afternoon, June 26, 2020, and assured that the City Government will allocate ample airtime for Deped-Davao Region in its radio-based instruction through 87.5 FM Davao City Disaster Radio.
She further said that if they need more than an hour, ready and willing her office is ready and willing to support and assist them because everybody owns this radio station. She further mentioned that this is not only for the City Government.
DepEd Secretary Leonor Briones earlier said that DepEd is pushing for the blended or distance learning amid the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic.
Briones said the department will be doing blended learning modalities, particularly online learning since face-to-face classes are still discouraged unless a vaccine or medicine to cure Covid-19 will be procured.
Admittedly, she said not all can afford to buy gadgets and have a stable internet signal. She said they are pushing for other alternative learning delivery modes such as TV, radio, online and printed modules.
President Rodrigo Duterte has expressed his support in utilizing radio as an instructional medium for its blended learning in his message the time Secretary Briones appeared in a meeting with the president and members of the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases.
This Corner hopes that all planned programs and projects of DepEd with the help of its stakeholders will be realized soon for the learners and the country.