FIRST ON RADAR: QC to build new science high school in Novaliches

The development comes after a larger push to strengthen science education in the country amid technology’s rapid growth. Photo from Quezon City School Board / Facebook

School board says Bagbag Science High School will give qualified Quezon City learners a dedicated path to specialized science and math education.

Quezon City is adding another science high school, this time in Novaliches, to give its own learners a dedicated path to specialized science and math education.

The QC LSB announced on October 3 that it will establish the school in the northernmost part of the city, bordering Caloocan and Bulacan, to cater to gifted learners in the area.

The board proposed the name Bagbag Science High School, after the barangay where it will be built and to avoid confusion with Novaliches High School.

The school is set to offer Grades 7 to 12 learners an enriched science and math curriculum, specialized laboratories, partnerships with research institutions and technology organizations, scholarships, and community-oriented science projects.

The board did not indicate a target opening date.

Quezon City already houses the main campus of the Philippine Science High School and the designated regional science high school for Metro Manila, the Quezon City Science High School. Both cater to learners from outside the city.

“Unlike the regional mandate of QCSHS, the new school will provide a city-level pathway specifically accessible to qualified Quezon City residents,” the LSB said.

Regional and city-level science high schools are under the Department of Education, while the Philippine Science High School System is supervised by the Department of Science and Technology.

Both types of institutions offer specialized science and math-centric programs, with highly competitive admission tests to select academically gifted students. Tuition at these institutions is government-subsidized.

The development follows a larger push to strengthen science education in the country amid the rapid growth of technology. Last year, Republic Act No. 12310 was signed into law, encouraging each region to have two PSHS campuses to further encourage students to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

The PSHS System currently has 16 campuses, while the country has 17 regional science high schools. The National Capital Region has 17 science high schools spread across its component cities.