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THE PHILIPPINE STAR
THURSDAY I MAY 2,2ol9
'Not all SHS
tech-voc
grads will ioin
workforce'
Not all denior high school
graduates who took the techni-
ial-vocational (tech-voc) track
will necessarily join the work-
force, as some may decide to
proceed to college, an official of
the Department of Education
(DepEd) said yesterday.
Education Undersecretary
Nepomuceno Malaluan made
the clarification after a law-
maker claimed that technical-
vocational track gradu4tes
of the senior high school
program are expected to join
the workforce this year.
"Tech-vot track graduates
do not necessarily opt for
employment; on the other
hand, academic track gradu-
ates do not necessarily mean
they will opt to proceed to
college," Malaluan said.
"We do not have a tracking
system yet," he added.
The STAR erroneously
reported yesterday that 13.5
million college and senior
high school graduates who
chose vocational courses
would join the labor force this
summer.
,
Rup. Salvador Belaro Jr.. oT
party-list L-Ang Edukasyon,
in a statement on Tuesday,
said 1.35 million graduates
are expected to join the work-
force this vear.
The figure supposedly
includes those who finished
college, as well as senior high
school graduates who took
tech-voc coufses.
Based on DepEd data, a
total of 1,390,836 gtudents
graduated from public and
ptivate senior high schools
this vear.
ALout 36 pe rcentor 5A2,787
students'finished under the
tech-voc track, with the ma-
jority * 63.3 percent or 879,989
students - taking academic
track programs,
OnIy 5,90a students finished
underthe arts and designkack,
while only 2,156 compl-eted the
sports track under the senior
high school program.
Data on the number of
students who graduated from
higher educalion and tech-
voc institutions this year have
' yet to be released.
-fanvic Mateo
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