The Teacher's Dignity Coalition (TDC) and Samahan ng Progresibong Kabataan (SPARK) said on Thursday, Jan. 4, that the decision to end the Senior High School (SHS) program in state universities and colleges (SUCs) and local universities and colleges (LUCs) was "haphazard," with no guarantee of ensuring access and quality in the country's education system.

The groups said the decision will also bring about threats, such as the financial displacement of teachers.

"While we understand that SUCs and LUCs are mandated to offer the SHS program only during the K-12 transition period, we fear that mechanically following suit without serious consideration of the drawbacks on education stakeholders will lead to another learning crisis leaving 17,700 students affected by dislocation and hundreds of thousands more by imminent congestion," they said.

"We thus urge national agencies on education to extend the K-12 transition period to take into account the time and resources needed," the groups added.

The groups highlighted the concerns in line with the discontinuance of the program which include the capacity of the Senior High Schools to absorb all learners affected by the discontinuation.

They also noted that there should be enough instructors, classrooms, and learning facilities to avoid overcrowding while the quality of education being received from SUCs and LUCs will not be at stake.

"In line with this, the Department of Education must guarantee the performance of schools and rid itself of diploma mills and fly-by-night schools that have sprouted since the inception of the K-12 program," the groups said.

They said that public high schools should also be able to adopt SHS teachers employed in SUCs and LUCs still with compensation and benefits.

"Any less than this would mean failure to protect and fulfill the right of all citizens to quality education at all levels, and making such education accessible to all," SPARK and TDC said.