THE UST High School (USTHS) has suspended its plan to convert into a special science high school because of scarcity in funds, USTHS Principal Editha Fernandez said.
According to Fernandez, USTHS does not have enough funds to upgrade its facilities, which is a requirement for the conversion. She added the USTHS needs to construct additional science laboratories and computer rooms to accommodate all year levels.
“We will increase tuition (for us to upgrade our facilities) but we cannot restructure our tuition that high to finance our conversion because that will be very abrupt,” Fernandez said.
In addition, Fernandez said the faculty members of USTHS’s Science department will be required to graduate studies, which is another requisite for the conversion.
Meanwhile, the UST Graduate School is currently preparing a special program, which will be patterned after University of Western Australia’s (UWA) program, to accommodate the faculty members. The UWA program only requires teachers to do coursework and submit their thesis without defense.
Fernandez also said the High School’s curriculum was also upgraded to conform with the conversion.
“After we upgrade our facilities, the we will push through with the conversion,” Fernandez said. Ma. Karmina P. De Ungria
