THE De La Salle Health Sciences Institute (DLSHSI) in the City of Dasmarinas, Cavite, is all set for the incoming Grade 11 this June 2016. According to Dr.Juanito O. Cabanias, Vice Chancellor for Academics, the school has already addressed the fears and concerns of both parents and students of incoming senior high school.
Normally, parents have apprehensions and various questions about the new program, according to Cabanias such as ‘What happens to our children if they don’t study college at DLSHSI. What if they stop or transfer to other schools.’
“During the day of the entrance examination, we gather all the parents and then we make presentation about our program. That way we give them ideas about DLSHSI Program. We use the time as an opportunity to explain to the parents our program. I think the most difficult part is to really inform all of them about our specialized program. So we do the orientation to the parents on the day itself, while they wait for their children to finish the exam.
According to its website, the SHS program of the DLSHSI is focused on Academic-STEM Track with Health-related Courses. The curriculum is designed to prepare students in the field of health sciences like Nursing, Biochemistry, Pharmacy, Medical Laboratory Science, Radiologic Technology, Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy, and Speech and Language Pathology-all leading to Doctor of Medicine. For DLSHSI, this special health sciences high school is envisioned to prepare and form students as future medical and health allied professionals who value the Lasallian healing ministry the most. Thus, making sure the curriculum features PUSH (Public Understanding of Science in Health) as an integral component.
PUSH highlights the theoretical foundations and fundamentals of Science in relation to health programs of the Institute. These subjects show how sciences are important, related and useful in the field of health care. This also focuses on the laboratory and field exposures of the students after finishing the basic PUSH courses and finally this also requires the students to finish an Investigatory Project which is the culmination of all their theoretical knowledge and exposures from the basic PUSH courses. The remaining senior years shall be devoted primarily for the Internship Program where students shall be exposed to the actual health sciences profession.
“DLSHSI offers specialized health sciences track because we would like to prepare our students how is it to be like a nurse or any other health-related professions, for example, in the future. So in our curriculum, we make sure we have introduction to all our health sciences courses such as to nursing, to medical laboratory science, to pharmacy, to biochemistry, to physiotherapy, to occupational therapy, to speech and language pathology, and to radiologic technologywhere the students would be exposed to the different tracks. We also have internship program, that’s part of the revised curriculum of K to 12, and then we have our own hospital to really orient them. Ours is a specialized program where there are units devoted for introduction to health care, and health sciences program,” Cabanias explained.
The said unique curriculum shall be able to assist students also in determining their career paths without being forced to take a degree that they do not want to take. Moreover, students may opt to enroll in certificate programs that will hone their abilities and talents. As a result, they shall be equipped with the skills needed for a specific job even without a college degree. At the age of 18, the age when they graduate from Senior High School, they shall be employable, productive and competitive. Thus, adding up to the nation’s manpower. Still, those who opt to pursue a higher degree shall have the better opportunities in DLSHSI.
Under the technical vocational track, normally after finishing Grade 12, the students are issued the National Certificates. Once they have NC I and NC II certificates, meaning they passed the requirements of Technical Education Skills and Development Authority (TESDA), they are already employable. Like for example, a student who discovers his or her passion in baking and makes good at it, after graduation, passed the TESDA exam and gets his NC, then he/she can already apply for work to different establishments needing his/her service as a baker for example.
Cabanias reveals however that DLSHSI’s health-related tech-voc offering is different from other schools and won’t be available yet for the coming school year. “DepEd Sec. Br. Armin Luistro told us to think out of the box so we created a specialized health-related tech-voc program. For example, our proposed community health program is still being studied by the DepEd in coordination with TESDA,” Cabanias said. “But once our program pushes through, once the students graduate Grade 12, automatically they can apply in different fields already. Does DLSHSI give ‘special treatment’ to existing students who decide to continue SHS in the same school?
“A big yes! We have actually informed our incoming grade 11, that if they finish grade 12 at DLSHSI there’s no need for them to take the entrance exam to proceed to college. So they automatically have sure slot in college,” Cabanias said.
“Secondly, we are having continuous dialogues with college deans for taking validation exam only instead of the students repeating subjects in college which have already been taken up in SHS such as Introduction to Anatomy or Physiology. We would like them to feel the benefit for finishing SHS at the DLSHSI. And we’re thinking more ways for them to appreciate that they are being prioritized here,” he further explained.
Cabanias has over 15 years of administrative position in the academe which include seven years as Academic Services Director and one year as the Dean of the College of Humanities and Sciences of DLSHSI; 3 years as Director for Admissions and Scholarships and one year as Program Director for Language Learning Center of DLSU-Dasmariñas and three years as Associate Dean of the College of Arts and Letters of Southern Luzon College. What is his personal perception of the SHS?
“It’s about time for the K to 12 program! We’re the only country in Asia that does not adhere to the program. The Philippines is also part of the three countries in the world that does not adopt this global educational standard. These two countries are from Africa. Therefore, we lag behind in the education department,” he stressed.
“All Asian countries adhere to the program so why can’t we? So the K to 12 program would really be a big boost to the development of our educational system. For me, it’s a total redeemship. When our graduates apply abroad, they need to study again — to take additional units. So this is already the answer to this thing. Besides, it’s one of the requirements in the ASEAN integration,” Cabanias added. He cited a case of any Asian student who may want to transfer and study in any ASEAN countries. The host country should credit all subjects taken from the student’s previous school. Therefore, we would be of the same level.
As for employment of those in the tech voc track, the DepEd, TESDA and CHED (Commission on Higher Education) have secured partnership with various industries to accommodate Grade 12 graduates with the NC certificates required according to Cabanias.
In Cavite, for example, he said, tech-voc schools arrange for internship of their students who eventually hire them. “Right now, everything has been set. Surprisingly, here in Cavite, the employment rate is good for tech voc graduates. A lot of industries welcome tech voc grads,” he noted.
How does DLSHSI address parents’ concern on the SHS being additional burden and expenses for the family?
“The DepEd has this voucher system to help our students enroll for Grades 11 and 12 and they have the option to choose public or private school. I believe the government is responsive enough and is thinking of more ways to enhance the voucher system and scholarships for deserving students. Here at La Salle, our priorities are the graduates of public schools, so kung talagang magaling ka at gusto mo ng tulong and then we can help you apply for scholarship,” he said.
“To the parents, I think we have to accept the realities that we’re moving towards excellence in real sense. I think it’s time we embrace it, we accept it with open arms because this is for us, for our children. The SHS maybe an additional expense on your part but the return of investment will make a difference. And we know that we have to compete globally. With K to 12, we prepare our kids to the right fields that they should be. We can only know this if we give senior high school program a chance. It’s about time,” Cabanias concluded.