EVERY year, graduation caps are thrown into the air as students are welcomed into the “real world.” Social media fills with congratulations, parents beam with pride and schools showcase their success stories. Yet behind the celebration, many graduating students quietly fear what comes next.
The K–12 program was designed to make senior high school (SHS) graduates job-ready, but studies suggest it has fallen short. Philippine Business for Education (PBEd) found that only about 20 percent of companies are willing to hire SHS graduates, while the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) reported that just over 20 percent of graduates enter the labor force, with more than 70 percent continuing their studies. Employers cite gaps in work readiness, raising concerns about how prepared students truly are.
At the heart of the problem is direction. For years, students are trained to chase grades — memorizing formulas, writing essays and joining organizations — with the hope that these efforts will eventually lead somewhere. Graduation often reveals a difficult truth: passing exams does not always mean knowing what path to take in life.
A PBEd survey conducted with DepEd and Tesda showed that most SHS students plan to pursue higher education rather than work immediately, highlighting the disconnect between employability goals and actual outcomes. Low job absorption, underemployment and high NEET rates continue to challenge the promise of the SHS program.
These realities are reflected in the voices of graduating Mingscians. Elmari Manatad of Batch Syncytium shared her fear of not finding a job she will enjoy, saying that years of preparation feel uncertain without knowing if the destination will be worth it.
“Of course, every student fears failure in college. But what I truly fear the most is not being able to find a job that I like and enjoy. I’ve been a student for a long time and if I fail, it would be like preparing for a long race without knowing if our destination is worth it.”
Another student, Ezyla Apas, echoed similar concerns, citing anxiety over life after high school, changing relationships and whether she will succeed academically in college despite careful planning.
“My biggest fear is the uncertainty of life after high school. I’m the kind of person who likes to prepare for everything, but once graduation comes, everything will change — my friends and I will go our separate ways and no matter how much I plan, there are things I can’t control. I also worry about academics. I want to take a course I’m genuinely interested in, but I’m not sure if I’ll shine the way I did in high school. Still, I trust that God will make everything work out according to what’s meant for me.”
Graduating students do not need more pressure. They need guidance, patience and honest conversations about the world they are entering. Schools must give as much importance to career counseling and mental health support as they do to academics. Families and communities must also recognize that growth is not linear and that success does not follow a single timeline.
The caps may fall back to earth — but our expectations should not crush the ones wearing them. / Kent Jocef F. Ondangan, Minglanilla Science High School