Public HS students dominate DOST tests

A news item in today’s issue of Philippine Star, which shows how competitive graduates of public high schools are:

Senior public high school students ruled this year’s scholarship examination given by the Science Education Institute (SEI) of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), despite glaring disadvantages in resources and facilities.

Out of the 2,480 students who passed the SEI qualifying examination, 1,565 came from public high schools followed by private schools (361 students), science and technology-oriented schools (252), state university-based high schools (128), Philippine Science High School (110), and regional science high schools (64), the SEI said in a statement yesterday.

Republic Act 7687, or the Science and Technology Scholarship Act of 1994, is the government’s scholarship program that reaches out to poor yet talented students wanting to pursue a degree or training in science and technology.

Female passers outnumbered males in the RA 7687 scholarship exam, 1,291 to 1,189.

Meanwhile, the PSHS cornered 296 of the 739 slots of the Merit Scholarship, followed by public high schools (167), private schools (113), S&T-oriented schools (84), state university-based high schools (52), and regional science high schools (27).

Male passers were a little higher than females, 405 to 334.

The Merit Scholarship is the precursor of all S&T scholarships of DOST.  It originated from the “Science Talent Search” which began in 1958 when the National Science Development Board, forerunner of DOST, was created.

SEI director Ester Ogena said this year’s 3,219 qualifiers are higher than last year’s 2,876. She said the passers would add to the 8,931 undergraduate scholars presently enrolled under the DOST scholarship program.

“This is our contribution in the government’s thrust in creating a pool of engineers and scientists in the country. We entice our graduating students to venture into science and serve the country after the scholarship,” Ogena said.

DOST Secretary Estrella Alabastro said the government is keen on the production of science and engineering manpower to help propel the country’s economy through a steady supply of top-caliber scientists and engineers.

“Our scholarship program has brought forth top engineers and scientists known not only in the Philippines but around the world,” Alabastro said. –  Written by Helen Flores, Philippine Star