MANILA - Beginning this school year, another track will be added into the curriculum of the senior high school of the Department of Education that aims equip students to be "Filipino entrepreneurs and digital leaders".

The Department of Education (DepEd), the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and Thames International School signed on Thursday a memorandum of agreement for the inclusion of the 'e-commerce track' into the senior high school education. 

DepEd Secretary Sonny Angara said this would help students to find readily available and in-demand jobs once they graduate from senior high school.

"Isa ito sa utos ng ating Pangulo, na bigyan natin ng trabaho, bigyan natin  ng ating pag-asa ang ating mga kabataan. Pero bago natin sila bigyan ng trabaho, bibigyan natin sila ng karanasan, kailangan natin bigyan sila ng kaalaman, at iyan ang trabaho ng DepEd," Angara said in his speech during the signing ceremony. 

The new track will focus on skills needed by students in the field of digital marketing, supply chain and logistics, data analytics, online security computer systems.

The program will be piloted by Thames International School in 50 selected schools in the National Capital Region, Central Luzon and Calabarzon for around 1,000 students in the first year of the implementation. 

In the succeeding years, Thames International will train the DepEd schools for the expansion of the program. 

"So it should start with us, but during the next two years, we will do a trainers training program para the DepEd schools will be able to deliver it all over the country. So ano lang, start palang po and don't worry you will get a good supply of e-commerce and tech savvy retail workers to make sure our economy grows," Thames International School Co-founder and President Jaime Noel Santos said in a press conference. 

For his part, outgoing Trade Secretary Alfredo Pascual expressed optimism that this collaboration will provide students with technical skills for e-commerce and foster an entrepreneurial mindset among them. 

"The signing of this memorandum of agreement between the Department of Trade and Industry, the Department of Education and the Thames International School marks the dawn of new era for our students, one where innovation and education converge to adopt boundless opportunities," Pascual said.  

KIDS OF THE FUTURE

Also on Thursday, the DepEd and Board of Investors also signed a memorandum of agreement on the launching of the "Kids for the Future of Philippine Industrialization". 

This program also aims to equip senior high school students with necessary skills in animation, game development and software development, which are relevant to the future industry landscape and the evolving global digital economy.

"Marami po ang pumpasok na makabagong industriya, iyong artificial intelligence, iyong software development, game development, animation. Iyong hindi pangkaraniwan pa, hindi pa bahagi ng ating curriculum, pero ngayon palang nakikita natin na may potensyal para ipasok iyon ilang subjects dyan," Angara said. 

All these changes will be part of the revisions on the senior high school curriculum, which is still under review by DepEd.