The transition, set to begin in June 2026, follows a successful pilot implementation that included STI College General Santos.
Curriculum shift
Under the revised curriculum, the previous four-track SHS system will be streamlined into two pathways: Academic and Technical-Professional (TechPro).
The new framework also removes fixed strands, allowing students to customize their educational experience by taking core subjects while enrolling in electives outside their chosen tracks.
DepEd’s strengthened SHS curriculum likewise reduces the existing 15 core subjects into five key areas: Effective Communication, Life and Career Skills, General Mathematics, General Science, and Philippine History and Society, STI said in a statement.
STI said the streamlined curriculum is intended to decongest learning materials and allow students to develop deeper interdisciplinary competencies that better prepare them for higher education and employment.
Practical skills, workplace readiness
“At STI, we’ve always believed in future readiness, so keeping up with these changes is our way of delivering on that promise,” said Karen Tabije, STI vice president for academics.
“Through hands-on learning, we are ensuring every student is career-ready whether it’s stepping into university, straight into the workforce, or even entrepreneurship,” she added.
Under the revised framework, students will also receive expanded opportunities for field exposure, on-the-job training (OJT), and apprenticeships through STI’s industry partnerships.
The company said these enhancements are expected to strengthen students’ practical skills and workplace readiness as early as senior high school.
The transition will initially apply only to incoming Grade 11 students, while Grade 12 students from non-pilot schools will continue under the existing SHS curriculum during SY 2026-2027.
Renewed partnership
Apart from supporting the new SHS framework, STI also renewed its partnership with DepEd to further expand its “Education for Real Life” advocacy.
In a ceremonial signing held on May 4, 2026, STI and DepEd formalized a new memorandum of understanding aimed at expanding access to quality, technology-driven education nationwide.
Under the agreement, STI will leverage its campuses, mobile school buses, and learning facilities to help extend DepEd’s reach to underserved communities.
The partnership builds on STI Foundation’s “Driving Education Where IT Matters” initiative launched in 2007 under DepEd’s Adopt-a-School Program.
STI said the collaboration reflects a continuing effort to bridge the digital divide while helping produce future-ready graduates.
Beyond expanding its mobile school and digital literacy initiatives, STI is also strengthening career guidance programs through the STI Student’s Career Opportunity and Personality Evaluator (SCOPE) assessment and Career Camp workshops aimed at helping students align their education with industry needs. —Ed: Corrie S. Narisma
