Pisay struggles to meet admission demand due to limited slots

The Philippine Science High School (PSHS), also known as Pisay, renowned for its rigorous curriculum, has recently faced challenges due to limited enrollment slots.

Each PSHS regional campus accommodates between 90 to 120 students per academic year, while the Main Campus in Quezon City offers 240 slots.

In the Year Two report of the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM II), released Tuesday, 28 January, it was revealed that the system had 49,481 applicants for its 16 campuses for the 2022-2023 and 2024-2025 school years. Of these, 11,351 qualified for enrollment, yet only 5,544 students were able to enroll due to limited slots.

“Gaining admission into PSHS is competitive, with limited slots for a sizable pool of applicants,” EDCOM II said, adding that this leaves other qualified applicants with "no opportunity" to enter the PSHS.

Pisay's capacity is insufficient to meet the growing number of qualified applicants each year, resulting in even eligible applicants being unable to secure admission.

EDCOM II emphasized the need for the PSHS system to expand its capacity to accommodate more qualified applicants, including expanding the Department of Education’s policies on special science high schools, such as increasing slot allocations and boosting support for learning materials and school facilities.