Senator Gatchalian Urges Revision of Senior High School Voucher Program to Prioritize Needy Students
Senator Win Gatchalian has raised concerns over the misallocation of funds within the Department of Education's (DepEd) Senior High School Voucher Program (SHSVP), emphasizing the need for corrective measures to ensure that aid reaches the intended beneficiaries.
During the resumption of the Committee on Basic Education's inquiry on Wednesday, March 20, 2024, Senator Gatchalian expressed dismay over the lack of clear guidelines governing the distribution of vouchers under the SHSVP. He highlighted statistics revealing that a significant portion of the program's beneficiaries hailed from non-poor households, indicating a misdirection of resources.
According to Gatchalian's findings, for the school years 2019-2020 and 2021-2022, 64 percent and 70 percent of SHSVP funds respectively were allocated to students from non-poor families. This amounted to approximately P7.3 billion and P7.2 billion in aid, which the senator argued should have been directed towards financially disadvantaged learners.
"We have to make sure that every centavo allocated and appropriated to government goes to our poor learners," Senator Gatchalian emphasized during the session.
The SHSVP was established to provide financial assistance to students from low-income households, enabling them to pursue senior high school education in private institutions. However, without clear eligibility criteria, the program has reportedly failed to effectively target those in need.
Senator Gatchalian's call for revisions to the SHSVP aims to rectify this discrepancy, ensuring that the program fulfills its intended purpose of supporting vulnerable students and promoting equal access to education.
The senator's efforts underscore the importance of efficient allocation and accountability in government-funded initiatives, particularly those aimed at addressing socio-economic disparities in education.
The Department of Education has yet to respond to Senator Gatchalian's concerns, but the issue is expected to spark further debate and scrutiny within the education sector in the coming weeks.