DepEd creates technical vocational unit to strengthen its K to 12 program

Friday 6th of July 2012

PASIG CITY, July 6 --The Department of Education has created a Technical Vocational Unit under the Bureau of Secondary Education to highlight its importance in the K to 12 Basic Education Reform Program of the department.

Education Secretary Armin Luistro in a press statement said Tech-Voc Education should be strengthened as it is one of the three major strands under K to 12 which prepares high school graduates for the world of work by equipping them with employable skills. The other two are academic strands leading to a collegiate degree and the sports and music strand.

The new unit is expected to fine-tune the modeling of Grade 11 specifically in covering such Tech-Voc areas as agriculture, fishery, etc in the 23 public Tech-Voc High Schools beginning School Year 2012-2013.

“The Tech-Voc Unit is tasked undergo steps to strengthen the existing Tech-Voc High Schools in terms of curriculum, teachers and management training, infrastructure, facilities and other critical inputs for these specialized schools,” Luistro explained.

It is also expected to formulate strategies and policies in the conceptualization, implementation and monitoring of the modeling and offering of tech-voc courses in Grades 11 and 12.

Moreover, the Tech-Voc Unit is directed to coordinate regularly with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) for the curricular offerings and the process of awarding National Competency Levels 1 to 4 and Certificates of Competency for teachers and students.

It shall also establish linkages with prospective stakeholders in both public and private sectors as well as in international institutions to develop better equipped tech-voc schools that deliver a standard curriculum.(DepEd)