ILOILO CITY – The Department of Education (DepEd) in Western Visayas has confirmed that 170 public schools across the region, including Negros Occidental, will pilot the strengthened Senior High School (SHS) curriculum starting this school year.
According to DepEd-Western Visayas information officer Hernani Escullar Jr., 55 schools from Panay and Guimaras and 115 from various divisions in Negros Occidental have qualified for the pilot run.
More than 270 schools expressed interest in joining the initiative, but only those that met DepEd’s criteria were selected.
The revised SHS curriculum now offers only two tracks—Academic and Technical-Professional (Tech-Pro)—down from the previous four, which included Arts and Design and Sports.
“The 31 subjects under the old curriculum will be reduced by 8 to 11, depending on the strand, and streamlined into five core subject areas,” Escullar explained.
Under the new setup, academic track students will take seven electives, including a capstone project, while tech-pro students will complete three electives and one work immersion. The elective offerings will vary based on the specific strand chosen by the learner.
“The goal is to allow students to focus more deeply on their preferred strand, better preparing them for their chosen path—whether it’s higher education, employment, or entrepreneurship,” Escullar added.
The pilot program will be implemented only in Grade 11, while Grade 12 students in the participating schools will remain under the current curriculum.
Selection of the pilot schools was based on the diversity of elective offerings, availability of qualified teachers, and the adequacy of facilities and learning resources.