Two years after the government adopted the ?K to 12? program in the education sector, technology-focused school STI formally graduated its pioneering batch of senior high school (SHS) students.
The school celebrated the historic event on April 8, 2016 at the STI Academic Center Global City in Taguig. Out of the total 779 graduates from 26 STI campuses nationwide, 228 were from eight STI schools in the National Capital Region (NCR) and nearby areas.
?STI is one of the pioneer schools that implemented Senior High program in the country. We see this as an opportunity for the students to meet the demands of the 21stcentury as part of our goal to equalize regional competencies in line with the Asean integration. We are proud of the first batch of senior high graduates and we wish them to succeed in their ventures,? said STI president and CEO Monico V. Jacob .
In 2014, out of 92 private schools nationwide accredited by the Department of Education (DepEd) to offer senior high school for school year 2014-15, 67 or 73% are STI schools. As of today, all 78 STI schools including STI West Negros University have been granted the DepEd permit to offer senior high school.
Designed to ensure that senior high school graduates are prepared for higher education, entrepreneurship or employment, STI opened its doors to Grades 11 and 12 students with various strands and specializations under the academics and technical-vocational-livelihood tracks. STI senior high schools have been preparing for this transition since June 2013.
Among the 8 STI campuses in NCR with SHS graduates were from STI Colleges in Caloocan, Fairview, Las Pi?as, Makati, Mu?oz-EDSA, Ortigas-Cainta, Pasay, and Tanay. The graduation ceremony was attended by the DepEd regional director for NCR Ponciano Menguito and STI Alumni Association president Hernan Alar. Inspirational words were given to the fresh graduates by DepEd assistant secretary for curriculum and instruction Elvin Uy.
The K to 12 program mandates students to undergo Kindergarten and 12 years of basic education, comprising six years of primary education, four years of junior high school, and two years of senior high school.
DepEd reports that around 1.3 million students have already registered for senior high school since the launch of the early registration period last September 2015.
