#depedph

Right now, the Department of Education (DepEd) in the Philippines is changing the Senior High School (Grades 11–12) curriculum. They want to make it less crowded and easier to learn so students can be more ready for college, work, or business when they graduate. This change is called the Strengthened Senior High School Program and is starting with pilot schools in the 2025–2026 school year.

What Is the New Curriculum About?

Under the new program, the many core subjects that used to be required are lessened to only five for the students to take. Electives are grouped into flexible clusters and students can choose subjects based on what they want to learn, not just based on their strand. Only two main tracks remain Academic and TechPro but students can take electives from different clusters.

The good thing about this new curriculum is that it lets students focus more on the most important subjects without being overloaded with too many classes. Students can choose electives that match their interests or future goals, like business, science, art, or tech. The changes may also give us more time for real-world experiences like work immersion, which can help us be ready for jobs after graduation.

The new K to 12 curriculum introduced by the Department of Education in the Philippines feels like another turning page in the long story of our education system. Under the leadership of Secretary of Education Juan Edgardo Sonny M. Angara, this reform reflects the government’s renewed attempt to respond to the long standing issues in basic education. For students, these changes are not just announcements from the top but realities we experience inside the classroom where lessons, requirements, and expectations slowly begin to change.

One of the most emphasized goals of the revised curriculum is the focus on foundational skills and mastery of lessons. Instead of overwhelming learners with too many topics, the curriculum aims to ensure that students truly understand what they are learning. This direction, supported by DepEd officials and curriculum leaders, recognizes that quality education is not about speed but depth. It acknowledges that learners have different capacities and backgrounds, and that education should be more learner centered and relevant to real life.

However, reforms like this also come with challenges. While policies are shaped by key officials in DepEd, their success depends heavily on implementation at the school level. Teachers need proper training, schools need adequate resources, and students need time to adjust. Without strong support systems, even well intentioned reforms led by figures like Secretary Angara may struggle to create real impact.

DepEd is revising the SHS (Grades 11 - 12) curriculum to make it less congested, more focused, more flexible, and provide subjects that are easier to align with college requirements. (DepEd, 2025)

As a graduating Grade 12 senior high school student, I believe this emerging revision in the SHS curriculum is definitely an improvement, stronger, more practical, and a step toward achieving the best outcomes DepEd aims for in Philippine education.

Although it is a shame that my batch and previous batches did not get to experience this strengthened version of the SHS curriculum, it also fills me with anticipation about how this update will impact students in the coming academic years.

So what is actually changing in Senior High curriculum?

Core subjects are reduced: the previous 15 core subjects will now be cut down to just 5.

All strands and tracks are merged into two main tracks: Academic and Technical Professional (TechPro).

Fixed strands are removed and replaced with elective clusters: students can now freely choose subjects according to their interests and career goals.

I keep seeing posts about DepEd changing the SHS curriculum next school year and honestly my first reaction was really. Now. After everything.

Being in Grade 12 right now, it feels weird knowing that the system is finally being adjusted right after our batch already went through the worst parts of it. We dealt with overloaded schedules, back to back requirements, and subjects that sometimes felt unnecessary or repetitive. So hearing that future students will have fewer core subjects is kind of frustrating but also makes sense.

Having fewer subjects would have helped a lot. There were times when it felt like we were just trying to survive deadlines instead of actually learning. It got exhausting having to juggle so many requirements at once, especially when some subjects did not feel connected to what we actually needed for college or work.

They are also changing how tracks work, with just two main tracks now. Academic and Technical Professional. As someone who had to choose a strand early on, this honestly hurts a little. A lot of us were expected to decide our future when we were still unsure of what we wanted. More flexibility would have made things less stressful and less limiting.

Work immersion is also getting improved with more hours and more focus on real world experience. That part makes sense. SHS is supposed to prepare students for what comes after graduation, and sometimes it felt like we were not ready at all. More exposure outside the classroom would have helped us understand what working life is actually like.

The new curriculum will be tested first before being fully implemented, which means upcoming SHS students will probably have a smoother experience. I cannot lie, there is some jealousy there. It feels unfair that these changes came only after we already pushed through the old system. Still, I guess it is better late than never. If these changes mean future students feel less overwhelmed and more prepared than we did, then at least something good came out of all the struggle.