Open High School Program reports 44% increase in enrolment
by:
Noli Magsambol III
SAN PABLO
CITY, LAGUNA—The Department
of Education (DepEd) reported on September 3, 2012 that the Open High School
Program (OHSP) exhibited 44 % increase in enrolment this year. From a total of
42 students last year, OHSP enrolees are now 77. The OHSP administrators expect
this number to increase as the program still accepts applicants.
OHSP
coordinator, Mrs. Richelle Q. Omaña, attributes the rise in enrolment to
financial constraints. She said that students prefer enrolling in OHSP rather
than regular schooling because they can save money for fare and some finances
in school like activities and other academic related works.
OHSP
is a secondary education program that is designed for students who are unable
to attend regular school primarily due to physical impairment, work, financial
difficulty and physical distance between home and school.
It
operates in accordance with the provision of Batasang Pangbansa (BP) 232 or
the Education Act of 1982, which states that the state shall provide the right of every
individual to relevant quality education regardless of sex, age, creed,
socio-economic status, physical and mental conditions, racial or ethnic origin,
political and other affiliation
The
OHSP conducts lessons through modules approved by the DepEd-Bureau of Secondary
Education (BSE). These are distributed by program administrators on their
seminar before the official start of classes.
The
DepEd-BSE promotes the OHSP through print and broadcast media. It also calls
for the support of Local Government Units (LGUs) in promoting it to their
communities.
At
the barangay level, officials encourage people to enrol. Chairman Efren
Janolino of Barangay San Gabriel, for example, said that the program is really
of great help in providing quality education to his residents, especially those
parents who can’t afford to send their children to school.
One
of the OHSP beneficiaries, Angelica Sangcap, shared how the program helped her
as a student. “Due
to physical illness last year, I was not able to attend regular schooling and
OHSP provided another chance for me to finish my senior year,”Angelica
said.
OHSP
administrators are now thinking of ways on how they can improve their
educational system to attract more out-of-school youth, high school drop-outs,
and elementary graduates. This is to help people in achieving a quality
distance education regardless of their financial status.
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