State and local universities in the Philippines have been directed to cease

offering senior high school (SHS) programs. The Commission on Higher

Education (CHED) in Central Luzon issued a memorandum dated
December 28, 2023, instructing all presidents, heads, and officers-in-
charge of state universities and colleges (SUCs) in the region to
discontinue SHS programs. This directive was based on an order issued by
CHED Chairman Prospero De Vera III on December 18, 2023, stating that
there is no longer a legal basis to fund the SHS program. The engagement
of SUCs and local universities and colleges (LUCs) in basic education
through SHS will be limited to the K-12 transition period, from School Year
(SY) 2016-2017 to SY 2020-2021. Starting SY 2023-2024, government
assistance to students and teachers in private education beneficiaries from
SUCs and LUCs will cease, except for those entering Grade 12 in SY
2023-2024. SUCs and LUCs with laboratory schools are allowed to accept
enrollees, but they will no longer receive vouchers. Senate Majority Leader
Joel Villanueva emphasized the need for proper coordination between the
Department of Education (DepEd) and CHED to mitigate the impact of the
directive on affected students. Villanueva supported the discontinuation of
SHS in SUCs and LUCs, aligning with the mandate of Higher Education
Institutions (HEIs), but urged careful management of the transition to
prevent disruptions in education.