MORE than 55 schools across Central Visayas have been selected for the pilot implementation of the Department of Education’s (DepEd) revised senior high school (SHS) curriculum, set to begin in School Year 2025–2026.
This was announced by DepEd 7 Director Salustiano Jimenez in an interview at his office on Tuesday, May 27, 2025.
“For Central Visayas, there are around 125 who signified their interest to be part of the pilot; but those who complied early, because we have a cut-off, are the only ones included,” Jimenez said in a mix of Cebuano and English.
He said schools that failed to meet the submission deadline were no longer reconsidered.
The curriculum revision stems from findings that the previous SHS setup was “too congested,” limiting opportunities for meaningful work immersion.
Under the revised curriculum, core subjects are reduced from 15 to five: effective communication, life skills, general mathematics, general science, and study on history and Filipino society.
Remaining subjects will now be offered as electives, providing students greater flexibility to align with their interests and future career plans.
Cut-off
Jimenez said while approximately 125 schools in the region initially expressed interest, only those that met DepEd’s early compliance requirements were chosen for the pilot run.
He said schools failing to meet submission deadlines will not be reconsidered.
Nationwide, 841 schools will participate in the pilot, comprising 580 public and 261 private institutions, according to a report from GMA News. The pilot implementation will run from June 16, 2025, to March 31, 2026, with full nationwide implementation of the revised SHS curriculum scheduled for the School Year 2026–2027.
Jimenez explained that partner institutions had requested longer immersion hours, up to 320 or 600 hours, whereas the old curriculum allowed only 80 to 120 hours.
“Based on study, the curriculum in senior high school is too congested that there’s no more room for work immersion,” Jimenez said.
This limited duration, according to firms, was insufficient for graduates to secure employment.
“So they told us that after graduation, this would not be enough for our learners to land a job,” Jimenez added.
Jimenez noted that this new structure allows students pursuing academic tracks to gain national certificates (NCs) by taking technical-vocational-livelihood (Tech-Voc) electives.
Electives are optional courses outside the core curriculum that students can choose to take, offering them the opportunity to explore different subjects and interests
Assessments for these certificates will be administered in partnership with Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda) at no cost to the students.
“One good thing is that because of the close coordination between Tesda and DepEd, the assessment for NC is free,” Jimenez said.
This ensures graduates receive both a high school diploma and a Tesda-recognized certificate, enhancing their employability.
The pilot run aims to test the effectiveness of these reforms before their broader implementation. / CDF