Shout out to senior high schoolers! Are you still undecided on which strand to take? Do you still have a lot of questions about the academic tracks available and how it fits your dream careers or skills? Or are you just trying to research as much as you can to learn something about all the strands? This K-12 blog series is for you.

Since its approval in 2013, the K-12 system has created changes in the way high school students are trained not only for educational advancement but for possible employment as well. The K-12 program basically added two more academic school years to the then-existing 10-year pre-university format of secondary education institutions. With goals of achieving educational equity, the K-12 program aims to equip students with the much needed skills to gain employment even without a college degree.

There are mainly four possible tracks to choose from; namely: Academic, Sports, Arts and Design and Technical-Vocational-Livelihood tracks. Four different strands fall under the Academic track: Accounting, Business and Management (ABM) strand, Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) strand, Humanities and Social Sciences (HUMSS) strand and the General Academics strand.

GAS (General Academics Strand) is the most flexible strand among the four strands offered in the Academic Track because students get to learn and experience something from all the other strands. GAS is essentially for students who are undecided on which strand to take.

GAS subjects are a mix of specialized subjects from the other three strands: Humanities and Social Sciences (HUMSS) Strand, Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Strand, and Accountancy, Business and Management (ABM) Strand and other tracks offered for Senior High School students.
The subjects offered are the following:
Humanities 1 (either of the following: Creative Writing / Malikhaing Pagsulat, Introduction to World Religions and Belief Systems, Creative Nonfiction, Trends, Networks, and Critical Thinking in the 21st Century Culture)
Humanities 2 (either of the following: Creative Writing / Malikhaing Pagsulat, Introduction to World Religions and Belief Systems, Creative Nonfiction, Trends, Networks, and Critical Thinking in the 21st Century Culture)
Social Science 1 (either of the following: Philippine Politics and Governance, Community Engagement, Solidarity, and Citizenship, Disciplines and Ideas in the Social Sciences, Disciplines and Ideas in the Applied Social Sciences)
Applied Economics
Organization and Management
Disaster Readiness and Risk Reduction
Elective 1 (from any Track/Strand)*
Elective 2 (from any Track/Strand)*
Work Immersion/Research/Career Advocacy/Culminating Activity

Since GAS does not specialize in any strand, you are free to choose any college degree program under the three other strands based on the elective you chose. Some degree programs you can choose from are the following:

STEM Strand

• Bachelor of Science in Information Technology
• Bachelor of Science in Computer Science
• Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering
• Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering
• Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering
• Bachelor of Science in Biology
• Bachelor of Science in Mathematics
• Bachelor of Science in Architecture
• Bachelor of Science in Medical Sciences
• Bachelor of Science in Nursing
• Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy
• Bachelor of Science in Physical Therapy
• Bachelor of Science in Occupational Therapy

ABM Strand

• Bachelor of Science in Entrepreneurship
• Bachelor of Science in Human Resource Development Management
• Bachelor of Science in Business Administration
• Bachelor of Science in Business Economics
• Bachelor of Science major in Accountancy
• Bachelor of Science major in Management
• Bachelor of Science in Tourism

HUMSS Strand

• Bachelor of Arts in Communication
• Bachelor of Elementary Education
• Bachelor of Secondary Education
• Bachelor of Arts in Journalism
• Bachelor of Arts in Broadcast Journalism
• Bachelor of Arts major in Social Studies
• Bachelor of Arts major in Philosophy
• Bachelor of Arts major in Asian Studies
• Bachelor of Arts major in Literature
• Bachelor of Arts major in Foreign Studies
• Bachelor of Arts major in Political Science

Since you did not specialize in a particular strand – thus having not taken prerequisite subjects – there’s a possibility that you won’t qualify for a particular major. Therefore, your future college or university will require you to take specialized General Education courses as a prerequisite for the college program you choose.
What are your possible professions?Your choice of profession is as flexible as this strand. Basically, you can choose any possible profession from the other three strands. But take note that your chosen profession would likely depend on the specialized subjects, especially the electives, you decided to study.
Interested to enroll in this strand? Know more about schools offering GAS through their profile pages on Edukasyon.ph and apply directly to a school that interests you!