February 23, 2026 – The Department of Education, through the Private Education Office and in coordination with the Learning Systems Strand, convened a consultative meeting with private school associations and offices on February 23, 2026, at the Bulwagan ng Karunungan, Department of Education Office in Makati City.
Representatives from private education institutions, including the Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines (CEAP), Private Education Assistance Committee (PEAC), the Coordinating Council of Private Educational Associations of the Philippines (COCOPEA), and Manila Ecclesiastical Province School Systems Association (MaPSA), were present and articulated the current realities and concerns of private schools.
The CEAP affirms its support for the Department of Education’s proposal, recognizing that it seeks to safeguard the interests of all stakeholders, including students, teachers, school administrators, and the wider community. In the consultation, CEAP Executive Director, Mr. Narcy F. Ador Dionisio, actively engaged in the discussion and respectfully requested that curriculum and policy guides be made available to the Catholic education sector to ensure clear guidance and effective implementation in our schools.
The consultation, which lasted more than two hours, covered key developments in the basic education structure, including the proposed school calendar, the identification of core subjects, the offering of electives, and the overall direction of the proposed three-term academic calendar.
The discussion mainly focused on the proposed restructuring of the Senior High School program introduces a significant transition from four tracks to two primary tracks: Academic and TechPro (formerly TVL), with a stronger emphasis on solid academic foundations and industry-responsive technical preparation. The new framework shifts from rigid track-based identity toward pathway-based planning, allowing learners to select subjects aligned with intended exit outcomes such as higher education, employment, entrepreneurship, or middle-level skills development. The curriculum will consist of five core learning areas—Communication/Komunikasyon, Life and Career, Mathematics, Science, and Kasaysayan—each allotted 160 hours, alongside the academic electives with 160-320 hours depending on the specialization.
Institutionally, schools are expected to realign teaching assignments, recalibrate faculty specialization, and adopt a whole-school systems approach that integrates mental health support, positive discipline frameworks, strengthened home–school partnerships, expanded industry linkages, and coherent academic and career guidance systems. Comprehensive stakeholder orientation and change management efforts will be essential to ensure clarity and readiness. Both public and private schools are mandated to fully implement the proposed academic structure beginning School Year 2026–2027, necessitating coordinated preparation to ensure that the reform leads to meaningful and transformative educational outcomes rather than merely structural adjustments.
The developments of the Strengthened Senior High School Curriculum from its pilot implementation last school year 2025-2026 were also presented during the consultation meeting. In this context, the following key realities were discussed.
It was clarified that the Strengthened Senior High School (SSHS) Program will be implemented for Grade 11 in all schools—both public and private—beginning School Year 2026–2027. The proposed Three-Term School Calendar will likewise take effect in public schools in SY 2026–2027, while private basic education institutions are strongly encouraged to adopt the same structure during the transition year. By School Year 2027–2028, full implementation of the three-term calendar will be mandatory for all schools, public and private, subject to possible flexibility mechanisms to be provided by the Department of Education for private institutions. To support the transition, DepEd will release curriculum budget-of-work guides aligned with the three-term structure, including suggested assessments and learning activities, by March 2026. There is also a proposal to conduct co-development workshops between the Department of Education and Private Education Associations, particularly to refine the instructional and enrichment block components of the proposed three-term school calendar.