What is Senior High School?

Senior high school (SHS) refers to Grades 11 and 12, the last two years of the K-12 program that DepEd has been implementing since 2012. Students begin to study in SHS the subjects that will introduce them to their preferred career path.

High school in the old system consisted of First Year to Fourth Year. What corresponds to those four years today are Grades 7 to 10, also known as junior high school (JHS).

Take note now: “Senior high” has two grade levels and no longer means just the very last year of high school; “junior high” has four grade levels and does not mean just the second to the last year of high school.

To further explain: Under Republic Act No. 10533 (Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013), you will have to complete Kindergarten, Grades 1 to 6 (elementary), Grades 7 to 10 (junior high school) and Grades 11 to 12 (senior high school)—in all 13 years—before you can receive a high school diploma.

Is SHS compulsory?

Students cannot be forced to spend two more years in school, but if they stop at Grade 10, they will only receive a JHS certificate, not a high school diploma.

Students who belong to the K-12 generation but do not complete Grade 12 will be disadvantaged in that they will not be accepted into a college degree or technical-vocational certificate program without a  SHS diploma. They will also miss out on an opportunity to learn skills that can qualify them for employment right after SHS, or prepare them for starting up a business.

How much will SHS cost?

SHS is free for students who go to public schools, just like the earlier grades. For private SHS students, costs will vary by school but they may avail of some government tuition subsidy upon request.

What kind of financial assistance is being extended to public school students who opt to transfer to a private SHS?

Grade 10 completers from public schools who want to enroll in a private or non-DepEd SHS automatically qualify for financial assistance through the SHS voucher program. All Grade 10 completers from private schools may also apply for a voucher.

According to the Department of Budget and Management, P12.2 billion has been set aside for the SHS voucher program.