Top quality secondary education produces adult achievers

The fact that nearly 98{1104248511d637c6a51014dcaacb77de829b1de96a4faa7392b7bed9a15aa427} of PSHS graduating students every year take science, math, engineering or technology courses in college is a testament to the effectiveness of the PSHS mission . Of ihe class of 2001, for example, 217 (45.7{1104248511d637c6a51014dcaacb77de829b1de96a4faa7392b7bed9a15aa427}) selected a math or science degree course while 250 (5260/0) chose an engineering or technology course. For the class of 2002,226 (41 .9o/o) chose science or math and 309 (56.40/0) took up an engineering or technology field of study.

Not too surprisingly, a large number of PSHS students also graduate from their college or university with highest distinciion. At the University of the Philippines, for example, more PSHS alumni have copped summa cum laude honors than the next ten high schools in the country combined. A partial list since 1990 includes:

• Laarni Vera Priska T. Bulan – Class 1990, BS Math, UP Diliman
• Ghristian Galynn T. Cheng – Class 1990, BS Math, UP Diliman
• Garlo Raymund R. Cruz – Class 1990, BS Math, UP Diliman
• Agham Bayan S. Posadas – Class 1989, BS Applied Physics, UP Diliman
•  Honesto Franz Maximillian A. Nuque,Jr. – Class 1993, BS Math, UP Diliman
•  May T. Lim – Class 1993, BS Applied Physics, UP Diliman
• Gerald B. Araullo – Class 1994, BS Chemical Engineering, UP Diliman lris C. Leoncio – Class 1995, BS Civil Engineering, UP Diliman
• Neil R. Ongkingco – Class 1997, BS Computer Science, UP Diliman
• Karen Kate O. David – Class 1998, BS Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, UP Diliman
• Jericho Bautista – Class 1998, BS Math, UP Los Barios
•  Ma. Cristina Bargo – Class '1999, BS Math, UP Diliman

The question often asked is "Won't all these smart kids who are given a topnotch scientific and technical secondary education go abroad to work and eventually migrate? Multinationals such as lntel, Microsoft, GE, lBM, 3M, Sony, Samsung will compete to recruit graduates with this background. If all of them leave anyway, what's the return on our government's investment?"

The most recent survey of 2,365 PSHS alumni who have joined tlte work force since 1991 showed that 68.5{1104248511d637c6a51014dcaacb77de829b1de96a4faa7392b7bed9a15aa427} are working or teaching in the Philippines while only 31.5{1104248511d637c6a51014dcaacb77de829b1de96a4faa7392b7bed9a15aa427} are abroad. This broadly reflects the same demographics of the country's professional population, indicating that PSHS alumni are not more particularly attracted to work outside.

ln the short span of 35 years and a working alumni count of nearly 8,000, the number of alumni who have had distinguished careers in applied science, applied math, information and communications technology, scientific research & teaching, and engineering has been nothing short of extraordinary. They far exceed the achievement demographics of private high schools- Several alumni have been named as Ten Outstanding Young Scientists (TOYS) of the Philippines.

Many have become CEOs and senior executives of large technology and lT services firms such as lBM, Accenture, and Globe Telecom. Still many more have become university presidents, college deans and college department heads. A large group of alumni have start ed up their own S&T-related enterprises. Several have occupied S&T policy-making positions in the government sector. A significant number have achieved doctorate degrees in various scientific fie lds-

Suffice it to say that, despite regularquestions from a few vocal detractors on what the government has received for its P250M budget a year, it is difficult to argue that the return for the government's investment has more than met the original expectations.

Another related question is, "Aithough 98{1104248511d637c6a51014dcaacb77de829b1de96a4faa7392b7bed9a15aa427} of them may take technical courses in college, do these young people actually get to work in technology, applied science, or engineering careers? Or do they wind up in sales, marketing, retailing, publishing, smali business, or other nontechnical work?" The same tracer study reveals that 70{1104248511d637c6a51014dcaacb77de829b1de96a4faa7392b7bed9a15aa427} of those surveyed were in S&T -related professions at one time or another and had job descriptions that made use of their high school and college technical education.