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Basic Education Sector ReformAgenda (2006-2010)Department of Education, Republic of the Philippines, August 2005  The Department of Education(DepED) is currently implementingthe SchoolsFirst Initiative, an effort to improvebasic education outcomes through abroadly participated, popularmovement featuring a wide variety of initiativesundertaken by individual schools andcommunities as well as networks of schools at localities involving schooldistricts and divisions, localgovernments, civil societyorganizations and other stakeholdergroups andassociations.Even as the Schools First Initiativeseeks to improve the way all publicschools perform now, the DepED isalso undertaking fundamentalreforms tosustain better performance. DepED ispursuing a package of policy reformsthat as a whole seeks tosystematically improve criticalregulatory,institutional, structural, financial,cultural, physical and informationalconditionsaffecting basic education provision,access and delivery on the ground. These

policy reforms are expected to createcritical changes necessary to furtheraccelerate, broaden, deepen andsustain the improved education effortalready being started by the SchoolsFirst Initiative. This package of policyreforms is called the Basic EducationSector Reform Agenda (BESRA).  This document summarizes thecontents of this agenda.Overall objectives of BESRA  The policy actions comprising theBESRA seek to create a basiceducationsector that is capable of attaining thecountry’s Education for All Objectivesbythe year 2015. In summary, theseobjectives are:1. Universal Adult Functional Literacy:All persons beyond school-age,regardless of their levels of schooling shouldacquire the essential competence tobe consideredfunctionally literate in their nativetongue, in Filipino or in English.2. Universal School Participation andElimination of Drop-outs andRepetition in First  Three Grades: All children aged sixshould enter school ready to learnand preparedto achieve the required competenciesfrom Grade 1 to 3 instruction.

3. Universal Completion of the FullCycle of Basic Education Schoolingwith SatisfactoryAchievement Levels by All At EveryGrade or Year: All children aged six toelevenshould be on track to completingelementary schooling withsatisfactory achievementlevels at every grade, and all childrenaged twelve to fifteen should be ontrack tocompleting secondary schooling withsimilarly satisfactory achievementlevels atevery year.4. Total Community Commitment toAttainment of Basic EducationCompetencies forAll: Every community should mobilizeall its social, political, cultural andeconomicresources and capabilities to supportthe universal attainment of basiceducationcompetencies in Filipino and English.In order for the basic education sectorto achieve the above listed desirededucational outcomes for all Filipinos,the BESRA focuses on specific policyactions within five key reform thrusts(KRT) as follows:Final BESRA 20 Aug 2005Page 2 of 14 KRT 1: Get all schools tocontinuously improve

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KRT 2: Enable teachers to furtherenhance their contribution tolearning outcomes KRT 3: Increase social support toattainment of desired learningoutcomes KRT 4: Improve impact onoutcomes from complementary earlychildhood education, alternativelearning systems and private sectorparticipation KRT 5: Change institutional cultureof DepED to better support thesekey reform thrustsIn short, the five key reform thrusts of BESRA are on: schools, teachers,social support to learning,complementary interventions, andDepED’sinstitutional culture.Preparation of BESRA Policy ProposalsIn the next ten months from August2005 to May 2006, various taskteamsorganized by DepED, with membersdrawn from various stakeholdergroupsand consultants engaged to assistthem, are preparing the specificproposalsfor each policy action identified anddescribed in this document. Most of theproposals are matters within thefunction, authority and power of DepED

management to decide in accordancewith existing laws; others requireactionby other government offices including

the Office of the President; yet othersmay require new or amendedlegislation. As each of the policyproposals isdetailed and specified, the draftofficial documents shall be reviewedanddecided by DepED management. Those proposals that are within theadministrative and legal authority of DepED will be adopted asappropriate;those that require action by othergovernment authorities shall be dulyendorsed for their appropriate action;those that require legislation will besubmitted for consideration of Congress.  The preparation of each policyproposal included in the BESRA shallfollowthe careful, deliberate, research-based, participatory and interactiveprocessthat marked the manner of preparingthe whole BESRA itself. Actual data,available facts and scientific researchshall inform the policy preparationprocess. Consultations, publichearings, peer reviews, solicitationsof positions papers, among other meansof securing contributions from all

concerned and interested, shall berequired prior to the formulation of anydraft policy proposal. The

membership of the task teams shallseek torepresent those closest to the issuesin order to assure that their concernsareincorporated in the very process of formulating policy proposals. Thediscussions and deliberationsundertaken in the course of formulating allpolicy proposals shall be fully andadequately documented.As each policy proposal is submittedby the various task teams to DepEDmanagement, a routine process of public announcement anddissemination of the recommended draft proposalshall provide the general public withadequate opportunity to comment oneach proposal prior to its finaladoption.Final BESRA 20 Aug 2005Page 3 of 14Key Reform Thrust 1: School-levelstakeholders improve their ownschools continuously.Why this reform thrust is important:Schools are the community-basedsocialinstitutions that provide the mostwidely available formally organized

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instruction, which is expected toenable students to learn and therebyattaintheir desired educational outcomes. If 

schools are to deliver betteroutcomesin a sustainable manner, the keystakeholders, within the school andthecommunity served by the school,must be enabled and empowered tomanage their school-level affairs sothat they deliberately andcontinuouslyimprove the link between their ownefforts and their collectively desirededucational outcomes. The centralinsight of this reform thrust is thatpeoplemost actively and directly involved inand affected by the schools’operationsare the best people to improve thequality of these schools.Progress in this key reform thrust willbe indicated by:1. Increased percentages of all publicschools that have current schoolimprovement plans (SIP) prepared,implemented and monitoredthrough a participatory process led byschool heads working withorganized school governing councils(SGC).2. Increased percentages of publicschools with SIP's prepared,

implemented and monitored thru aparticipatory process that meetspecific quality dimensions includedin an SIP assessment instrument.

(These quality dimensions include:linkage of SIP activities withimproved learning outcomes; depthor level of community participation;priority given to meeting teachers’needs for better teaching practice;support given to classroomimprovement; and consistency withschool’s long-term developmentplans).3. Increased levels of resourcesmanaged and controlled at the schoollevel.4. Improved levels of school-widestudent performance based on resultsof national standardized tests.Main policy actions identified togenerate progress in this key reformthrust: The following three policy actions areall within the legal mandate of Chapter1- Governance of Basic Education,Section E. School level of Republic ActNo. 9155, Governance of BasicEducation Act of 2001.1.1 A head for every school: Ensurethat every school or cluster of schoolsisled by a school head who is selected,prepared, supported, monitored andmade accountable for organizing andleading an institutionalized school

improvement process at theschool/community level.1.2 A school/community process of continuous school improvement:

Institutionalize an efficient,participatory, and continuous schoolimprovement process in every school.Enable every school to routinelyprepare a school improvement plan(SIP), implement it, monitor andreportits implementation, and evaluate itsresults in terms of school-wideFinal BESRA 20 Aug 2005Page 4 of 14attainment of desired earningoutcomes. Enable every school anditscommunity to establish and maintainfunctional and empowered SchoolGoverning Councils supporting theoperational leadership of the schoolhead in the school improvementprocess. Provide schools with meanstoadopt mechanisms and practices forschool-level accountability to parents,community, LGU's, and the DepEDhierarchy, including use of SchoolProfiles, School Report Cards andsimilar modes of reportingmeasurements of school-wideeducational outcomes (participation,completion and achievement).Expand schools’ use of studenttracking

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systems to, among others, follow-upstudents who are frequently absent,encountering difficulties and/or whoare lagging behind. Establish and

sustain school/community levelmeasures for enhancing basic healthandnutrition conditions of students andschool staff, which should be includedas an important part of the SIP and akey responsibility of the SGC.1.3 A school-based resourcemanagement framework: Create asimple andpractical school-based framework forcomprehensive management of allresources available to schools (e.g.,those coming from the GAA, localgovernment funds, communitycontributions and other sources), fortheattainment of the school’s mission,particularly desired learningoutcomes.Evolve an administrative andoperational environment, includinginstallation of basic financialmanagement and resourceaccountingsystems appropriate to all types andsizes of schools, that enable schoolstogether with their communities, tobecome self-governing (i.e., toautonomously decide and act onmatters related to education deliveryatthe school level).

 The fourth policy action below will bepursued on the basis of the legalmandate of Department of Educationofficials and employees to serve as

cochairpersonand members of local school boardsof local governmentsaccording to Book 1, Title 4 - LocalSchool Boards, Sections 98 to 101, of Republic Act No. 7160, LocalGovernment Code of 1991.1.4 A schools-driven DepEDrepresentation in Local School Boardsof LGU's:Enable school heads and schoolgoverning councils to monitor andinfluence LGU spending for basiceducation, particularly in relation totheuse of SEF collections.Key Reform Thrust 2: Teachers raisethe prevailing standards of theirprofession to meet demands forbetter learning outcomes.Why this reform thrust is important:Classroom performance of teachers isacritical factor behind learningoutcomes attained by students of schools. Acritical part of school improvementthus involves improvement of teacherperformance in classrooms. Schoolsmust be provided with more andbetterteachers capable of improving theircapacity to teach well classes of 

reasonable size. Furthermore, sincemost education managers start out asteachers, improving the competenceof teachers in the service will also

likelyimprove the quality of futureeducation managers. A central insightof thisFinal BESRA 20 Aug 2005Page 5 of 14reform thrust is that teachersthemselves have the greatest stakeand mostdirect influence in raising theprevailing standards governing thepractice of their profession in order to meetsocial demands for better learningoutcomes.Progress in this key reform thrust willbe indicated by:1. Increased percentages of allDepED divisions using competency-basedstandards for assessing teacherperformance, determining teacherdevelopment needs and priorities,selecting new teachers for hiring andpromoting teachers.2. Increased percentages of all newteachers (national and local payrolls)deployed in schools at each DepEDdivision that were selected andhired based on teacher competencystandards of the division.3. Frequency distributions of classsizes (schools, divisions, regions and

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national) clustered more closelyaround the average.4. Increased percentages of allclasses requiring assignment of 

speciallytrained teachers served by teacherswith correct preparation andqualifications (e.g., high schoolscience classes handled by teacherswith correct science majors,multigrade classes handled byteacherswith multigrade training, andalternative learning programshandled bymobile teachers with requiredtraining).Main policy actions identified togenerate progress in this key reformthrust: The first five policy actions that followcan all be undertaken by DepED aspartof the implementation of Chapter 1 –Governance of Basic Education of Republic Act No. 9155, Governance of Basic Education Act.2.1 A framework for competency-based standards for teachers: Adoptanational framework using teachercompetencies as the basis of standardsfor assessing new teachers’ readinessfor hiring and deployment,

incumbent teachers’ currentperformance, and teachers’ priorityneeds forprofessional development. Teacher

competencies cover such areas aslanguage proficiency, subject mattermastery, pedagogical and classroommanagement skills, and commitmentto profession and community, amongothers, which define variousdimensions of teacher capabilityknown to beimportant for improved learningoutcomes.2.2 A rolling 5-year projection of newteacher hires: Prepare a rolling 5-yearprojected staffing pattern for allschools that identifies expectedstaffingrequirements and estimates of numbers of future hires for differenttypesof positions in different divisions.Maintain a rolling 5-year series of annualforecasts of future teacher demand atthe national, regional and divisionallevels, that can be used as basis forannounced changes in future hiringstandards that will require priorresponses by pre-service teachereducation programs and theprofessional licensing of teachers.2.3 Progressive upgrades in divisionlevel teacher hiring practices: Enableall

divisions to progressively improve thequality of teachers they hire basedon national competency standardsadapted to local conditions. Set up

Final BESRA 20 Aug 2005Page 6 of 14rolling 5-year timetables for eachdivision to program a year-by-yearraising of minimum standards forhiring future teachers. At all divisions,develop new rules, procedures, andinstruments governing hiring,togetherwith appropriate staff who arecapable of scientifically assessingteacherapplicants in terms of their probableperformance in actual conditions of classroom practice against prevailingperformance standards.2.4 Regional, divisional and schoollevel targets for distribution of classsizes:Improve the deployment of availablenumbers of nationally paid teachersin order to fairly distribute theinstructional workloads amongclasses andschools. Set up and monitorcompliance with rolling 5-year targetsforimprovements in class sizedistribution for regions, divisions andschools.In order to attain each year’s targets,regions, divisions and schools would

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be authorized to use a variety of instruments to include: allocation of newteacher items; re-deployment of 

vacated items; encouragement of voluntary teacher transfers; andselective control of new enrollment inover-crowded schools in favor of lesscrowded schools nearby.2.5 Division and school focus onimproving teaching practice inschools:Encourage each division to adapt thenational framework forcompetencybasedstandards for teachers to the specific

conditions and needs of theschools of the division. Use thedivision-specific teacher competencyframework (and develop division anddistrict staff capable of providingtechnical support on its use toschools) as the basis for each school’sregular assessment of incumbentteachers’ performance anddetermination of their prioritydevelopment needs, linked toidentified gapsand opportunities in student learningoutcomes. Ensure that the process of SIP preparation, implementation andmonitoring features the regularpractice of school heads leadingteachers in using student assessmentdata and classroom observations tocollectively identify strengths and

weaknesses in teacher performance,corresponding gaps in teachercompetencies, and appropriatepriorities in use of school-based

resourcesto improve teaching and learning.Engage the SGC to increase thevisibility, importance andcommitment of schools/communitiesfor teachersand students to attain high levels of proficiency in English, Science andMath. Expand availability to schoolsof cost-effective options for meetingteachers’ priority needs for trainingand professional development that

span a range of options, amongothers, self-learning and tutorials,schoolbasedor division-based INSET,regional/central training, academictraining in tertiary institutions,distance learning programs andcomputerbasedcourses, short courses by private andother providers.  The next two policy actions involvenegotiated agreements withorganizationsand agencies over which DepED doesnot have any administrativeauthority.Memoranda of agreement will need tobe entered between DepED andLGU'son the competency-based standardsgoverning the hiring of locally paid

teachers. Similar memoranda of agreements may also have to benegotiatedwith teacher education institutions,

state colleges and universities andtheProfessional Regulation Commission. The Education Secretary’s policyoversight function of the Commissionon Higher Education as mandated byFinal BESRA 20 Aug 2005Page 7 of 14Executive Order No. 434 may also bea source of administrative authoritytopursue agreements with teacher

education institutions and statecolleges anduniversities.2.6 All other sources of teacher hiresto adopt division hiring practices:Negotiate with local governments,local school boards, PTCA's and allother sources of local teacher hiressupplementing the nationallyprovidedpositions to convince them to agreethat locally hired teachers shall all besubject to the same procedures andstandards adopted by the division fornationally hired teachers.2.7 Pre-service teacher education andlicensing to support future higherhiringstandards: DepED’s 5-year annualprojection of future teacher hires can

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be used as an early signal to teachereducation institutions and theprofessional teacher licensing systemabout what teacher competencies

will be valued by the public schools inthe coming years. Using thesefuture forecasts, a synchronized setof corresponding year-by-yearreformsin policies for pre-service andlicensure can be developed andnegotiatedthat will provide sufficient lead timefor meeting the higher standards of future teacher hiring. All TEI's: More competitive entry

and admission to teacher educationprograms; implementation of the newpre-service teacher educationcurriculum which includes extendedexposure of student teachers toactual instruction under masterteachers. All SUC's: State-assistedinterventions to increase futuresupply of good teachers in English, Math andScience. PRC: Review and improvement of teacher licensure process toenhance its capacity to certify onlyteachers with essential capabilitiesto teach well.  The last policy action below willdefinitely require new legislation oran

amendment to existing ones. Thethrust of the policy action will be toassemble data and analysis that cansupport the formulation of draft

legislation.2.8 New legislation governing teacher(and non-teaching staff)compensation,benefits and conditions of  employment: Develop a long-termstrategy forimproving teacher’s compensationand benefits to attract betterstudentsinto the teaching profession and keepthe best teachers in the service,

either in classrooms or inadministrative positions. Provideincentives forhard-to-staff teaching positions.Explore public-private partnerships asasource for supporting teachercompensation, benefits andincentives.Adopt a longer probationary period(two to three years) for new teacherhires linked to a professionallymentored induction program withpeerappraisals and assessments. Considerchanges in rules on teacherdeployment to include routinechanges in grade level and schoolassignment of teachers to insure thatteachers master the span of elementary or secondary curriculum.

Final BESRA 20 Aug 2005Page 8 of 14Key Reform Thrust 3: Influential socialinstitutions and key social

processes are engaged by DepED tosupport national scale attainmentof desired learning outcomes.Why this reform thrust is important:For schools and teachers, and thewholeDepED organization, to performbetter, the basic education sectorneeds tosecure sustained strong support forresources necessary for goodinstruction,

which in turn, depends on parents’and students’ recognizing that goodinstruction is vital to attaining theirmost valued personal, family,communityand national aspirations. In order forparents and students to recognize thetrue and full value of securing desiredlearning from good schools, however,they need to observe the wholesociety reinforcing, emphasizing andenriching the same learning. One canhardly expect parents and studentstosupport good schools when they donot see the rest of society remindingthemof the value and desirability of thelearning that good schools realize. The

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central insight of this reform thrust isthat ordinary people from differentspheres of society (i.e., persons notspecifically trained or skilled in

professional education) not only canenhance the learning that studentsderive from schooling, but alsostrengthen society’s support for thoseteachers, schools and educatorsdoing the best job in making suchlearningpossible for all.Progress in this key reform thrust willbe indicated by:1. Increases in the levels of educators’ satisfaction with the

quality of instruction that schools deliver.2. Increases in the levels of parents’and children’s satisfaction with thequality of education they obtain.3. Increases in the levels of communities’ satisfaction with theperformance of schools serving them.4. Improvements in nationalindicators of learning outcomes suchasparticipation and completion rates,achievement rates and nationalsample scores in internationallycomparable testsMain policy actions identified togenerate progress in this key reformthrust:  The first three policy actions beloware in accordance with Chapter 1 –

Governance of Basic Education,Section 7- Powers, Duties andFunctions,Part A. National level of Republic Act

No. 9155, Governance of BasicEducation Act of 2001. These threeactions involve the adoption multi-sectoralnational strategies in support of learning in three major areas of knowledge of common interest to all Filipinos,namely, learning in English, in Filipinoand inMath and Science.Each of these national strategies

would encompass the basic educationcurriculum and instruction in formalschooling, as well as the potentiallearningsupport provided by media,community, home and workplace,alternativelearning options, civil societyinitiatives and all other socialmechanisms thatenhance learning. Each strategy shallalso include consideration of alternativehigh schools e.g., science andtechnology schools, culture and artsschools,Final BESRA 20 Aug 2005Page 9 of 14open high schools, distanceeducation, among others. And eachstrategy shall

also consider the preparation andeducation of teachers and other typesof mentors and guides best able to

facilitate the desired learning in eacharea of knowledge.All three strategies would bearticulated for children reached bymainstreampublic schools, as well as forpopulation segments requiringspecialeducation, for the differently-abledpersons, for indigenous peoples, forMuslim Filipinos through madrasah

education. Part of the strategieswould bethe streamlining of the curriculum,and the possible extension of thebasiceducation cycle. The strategies willbe formulated through consultations,researches, debates, etc. Onceadopted, these strategies wouldincludeinformation campaigns to increasepopular awareness andunderstandingabout the current trends ineducational outcomes in these areasof knowledge, and the current progressin implementing reforms necessary tosustain improvements in desiredlearning outcomes.

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3.1 A national strategy in support of learning in English language: Engageleaders, influentials, experts, groupsand institutions with an interest in

Filipinos learning in the Englishlanguage. Articulate a consensus onthe role and importance of Filipinoslearning in English. Identifyresources, capabilities, assets,strengths and advantages availableforFilipino mastery of English language.Propose actions, policies,projects, activities and initiatives thatcan accelerate, enhance, enrichand universalize Filipinos learning in

English language. Recommendappropriate directions or priorities forschools, media, professions,enterprises, government agencies,churches and religions, and othersocial institutions.3.2 A national strategy in support of learning in Filipino language: Engageleaders, influentials, experts, groupsand institutions with an interest inFilipinos learning in the Filipinolanguage. Articulate a consensus onthe role and importance of Filipinoslearning in Filipino. Identifyresources, capabilities, assets,strengths and advantages availableforFilipino mastery of Filipino language.Propose actions, policies,projects, activities and initiatives thatcan accelerate, enhance, enrich

and universalize Filipinos learning inFilipino language. Recommendappropriate directions or priorities forschools, media, professions,

enterprises, government agencies,churches and religions, and othersocial institutions.3.3 A national strategy in support of learning Mathematics and Science:Engage leaders, influentials, experts,groups and institutions with aninterest in Filipinos learning Math andScience. Articulate a consensuson the role and importance of Filipinos learning Math and Science.Identify resources, capabilities,

assets, strengths and advantagesavailable for Filipino mastery of Mathand Science. Propose actions,policies, projects, activities andinitiatives that can accelerate,enhance,enrich and universalize Filipinoslearning Math and Science.Recommend appropriate directions orpriorities for schools, media,Final BESRA 20 Aug 2005Page 10 of 14professions, enterprises, governmentagencies, churches and religions,and other social institutions.  The national level of DepED is alsoauthorized, and held accountable andresponsible by RA 9155 for“promulgating national educationalstandards and

monitoring and assessing nationallearning outcomes”. As part of thenationalstrategies in support of learning, the

policy action described belowinvolves amore detailed specification of thestandards and outcomes which formalbasiceducation schooling should meet.3.4 A national quality assuranceframework for basic educationschooling: The existing Revised Basic EducationCurriculum (RBEC) will befurther developed into an explicit

learning accountability frameworkthatdefines what levels of learningstudents of schools and divisionsshouldmeet at various stages of the basiceducation cycle. This frameworkwill be based on the nationalcurriculum, but will provide leewayforlocal flexibility and relevance. Toenable schools and divisions to meetexpected learning outcomes, theframework should also includeadequate support to instructionthrough sufficient quantity and betterquality textbooks across all subjects,essential teachers’ guides andmanuals (especially for all newly-hired teachers) and otherinstructional

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materials, preferably locallydeveloped. The framework will thusencompass standards for inputs andprocesses linked to desired

learning outcomes. This QAframework defines the minimumstandardsall schools should meet and the keymeasures to be taken to assureattainment of these standards. It willinclude a set of minimum nationalstandards for capabilities, structures,processes and output based on atemplate for school improvementprocesses from planning toimplementation to monitoring and

evaluation. Finally, the QAframework shall include a system of nationally standardized studentassessments, outcomesmeasurement and reporting of basicschoolstatistics that together will providethe basic data about directions,levels and trends of progress in theongoing educational reforms.When the national strategies insupport of learning in the three key

areashave emerged, and the nationalquality assurance framework for basiceducation schooling has beendrafted, DepED will then considerinstitutionalizing the multi-sectoralparticipation in national-levelgovernance of 

basic education in its broadest senseto include not just formal schoolingbutalso all other sources of learning in

society. Section 5 of RA 9155 talksaboutcommunication channels that“facilitate flow of information andexpandlinkages with other governmentagencies, local government units andnongovernmentorganizations for effectivegovernance”. The policy action belowis a step in such direction.3.5 An institutionalized national

forum for multi-sectoral coordinationinsupport of basic education outcomes:Establish a national governingcouncil on basic education standardsthat can serve as the institutionalsteward and champion of theimplementation of the nationalstrategiesFinal BESRA 20 Aug 2005Page 11 of 14in support of learning as well as the

national quality assuranceframework for basic educationschooling. This council can helpDepEDdefine, articulate and advocate theconcept of quality Filipino basiceducation as one that forms a desiredtype of Filipino with certain

distinct identities and core ethicalvalues, apart from acquiring certainvalued competencies. The nationalcouncil can also enable local

communities to understand andinternalize this concept of qualityFilipino education (an “educatedFilipino” as one of “being” not just of “doing” or “knowing”) so that parentscan assess the quality of schoolsfrom the kind of students they form. This last policy action focuses on thepreparation and training of basiceducation managers, which is a taskimplied by the many mandates andfunctions of DepED.

3.6 A program and institution forforming basic education managers:Establish a training and developmentinstitution for higher-leveleducation managers, such asassistant superintendents,superintendents, assistant directorsand directors, which is linked to theprincipals and school heads institute. This institution should dovetail tothe school heads institute.Key Reform Thrust 4: Providers of 

early childhood care anddevelopment, alternative learningservices, and private sector increasetheir respective complementarycontributions to national basiceducation outcomes.Why this reform thrust is important:Even good public schools with good

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teachers will require the assistanceand contribution of others in attainingthenation’s desired learning outcomes.

Children entering school at Grade 1needto be made ready for school throughearly childhood education from theirbirthonward. Adult illiterates, out-of-schoolyouth and other learners not in schoolneed to secure basic educationcompetencies through alternativelearningoptions. The private sector also needsto supplement the effort of public

schools by serving families who opt tosend their children to private schoolsand by offering private sectorsolutions to public education. Thesethreesegments of most Filipinocommunities – early childhoodeducation,alternative learning providers andprivate sector – require a policyenvironment that strengthenscollaboration among service

providers withintheir localities and maximizes theirrespective contributions to thenation’slearning objectives. The centralinsight of this reform thrust is thateffective

convergence of early childhoodeducation, alternative learning,private sectorand public schools in localities will

maximize learning impact of eachone.Progress in this key reform thrust willbe indicated by:1. Increased percentages of all Grade1 entrants who meet the standardsfor school readinessFinal BESRA 20 Aug 2005Page 12 of 142. Increased percentages of ALSclients completing courses in basicand

functional literacy3. Increased percentages of takers of accreditation and equivalency testsin elementary and secondary levelspass4. Percentage of total schoolenrollment served by private schoolsreachthe target set by national policyMain policy actions identified togenerate progress in this key reformthrust:

4.1 Local delivery models for cost-effective early childhood education:Develop new or scale up existinglocality-based (municipal, city orprovince) ECE delivery models thatfeature, among others:assessments of readiness for schoolof all Grade 1 entrants; schools

giving feedback to parents about thereadiness of their children forschool; schools giving feedback tolocal governments and community

leaders about groups of Grade 1entrants not ready for school;expansion of local ECE programs thatdemonstrate effectiveness ingetting children ready for school;improvement of other programs toincrease their effectiveness; adoptionof standards known to enhanceeffectiveness of ECE programs; andLGU coordination of local ECEefforts at home, in communities, atday care and in pre-schools by

government, non-government andprivate sectors.4.2 Enhanced and accelerated ALScoverage: Review existing mandateof Literacy Coordination Council forpossible revision to cover governanceof alternative learning system,including adoption of policies andstandards for alternative learningservices by national governmentagencies, local governments, non-

government organizations and theprivate sector. Develop or scale uplocality-based (municipal, city orprovince) ALS delivery models.Develop capacity of service providers(public and private) to identifypotential ALS learners in the areaswhere they operate thru referral anddrop-out tracking system, and

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integrate literacy training in theirprograms of assistance reachingilliterate OSY and adults, and otherlearners. Establish structure and

support mechanism of convergenceat various levels.4.3 A private sector strategy for basiceducation: Identify potential of various roles of private sector in basiceducation: private schools;private management of publicschools; private sector participationinpublic schools governance; privateenterprises performing publiceducation functions as contractors or

suppliers; private financialcontributions to public education.Determine the optimum level of private sector in these various roles.Ensure private sector participationto meet this optimum level. Expandprivate sector participation ineducation through reforms in theEducational Service Contractingscheme such as expansion of coverage through all areas of basiceducation and improved targeting

where public sector capacityconstraints are matched by availableprivate sector capacity. Consideralso possible private management of public schools and private sectorservices to public schools or schoolclusters (for example, INSET,supervision and assessment).Final BESRA 20 Aug 2005

Page 13 of 14Key Reform Thrust 5: DepED changesits own institutional culturetowards greater responsiveness to

the key reform thrusts of BESRA.Why this reform thrust is important:  The first four key reform thrustswouldchange the policy environment of schools, teachers, social support forlearning, providers of early childhoodeducation and alternative learningservices, and private sectorinvolvement in basic education. Thekeyinstitutional player behind the

formulation, adoption andimplementation of these policies, now and over the long-term, is the Department of Education,particularly its national, regional anddivisional offices. If these reforms aretoadvance, take root, blossom and bearfruit, the institutional culture of DepEDwill need to change to become morehospitable to these reforms. In

particular,DepED will need to move out of itsworst centralized, bureaucratized,mechanistic and simplistic mindsetsand habits if it hopes to attainpopulationwidehigher level learning outcomes. Forreforms to occur at scale and be

sustained in the long-term, DepED’sorganizational culture, financialsystems,technological capabilities and

accountability environment have toadjust to thedemands of these reforms. Thecentral insight of this reform thrust isthat theculture of the institution behindreform policies must change if thepolicieswere to have a chance of eventuallysucceeding.Progress in this key reform thrust willbe indicated by:

1. High levels of deep understandingamong incumbent DepED managersat central, regional and divisionaloffices of DepED’s strategy forculture change and its integrationinto the modernization plans of DepED offices.2. A new national budget frameworkestablished featuring multi-year,goal-based funding levels withequitable allocations to localitieslinked

to LGU contributions and allocationsto schools specified according toa transparent formula.3. Increased levels of favorable publicperceptions of honesty, integrityand professional excellence of DepEDoffices4. ICT strategy adopted andimplemented according to targets

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Main policy actions identified togenerate progress in this key reformthrust:5.1 A strategy for institutional culture

change integrated into organizationalmodernization plans for central,regional and divisional offices:Develop astrategy for changing the institutionalculture of DepED towards becomingmore supportive of the directions of the reforms comprising BESRA.Implement the culture changestrategy in the improvement of theoperational capacity of central DepEDthrough the modernization of its

staff and facilities, as well as throughincreasing the transparency,accountability and integrity of itsunits, based on the newly rationalizedstructure and operations. Implementthe culture change strategy in theImprovement of the operationalcapacity of 17 DepED regional officesthrough modernization of staff andfacilities, as well as throughincreasingtransparency, accountability and

integrity of its units, based onFinal BESRA 20 Aug 2005Page 14 of 14development and formulation of specific regional basic educationsupportplans. Implement the culture changestrategy in the improvement of the

operational capacity of 184 DepEDdivision offices throughmodernizationof staff and facilities as well as

through increasing transparency,accountability and integrity of itsunits, based on development andformulation of specific local basiceducation plans.5.2 A new national budget frameworkfor basic education: Seek approval foranew national budget format for basiceducation that is based onDBCCapprovedmulti-year baseline allocations

sufficient to meet the basicresource needs of schools, providingsub-allocations to localities that islinked to specific levels of LGUcontributions, specifying school-levelsuballocationsthat serve as the basis of school-based budgets. Increaseannual budget outlays to meetenrollment and cost increases,eliminateresource gaps and attain target goals.

Identify sources of potential savingsin the existing budget for possible re-allocation to finance policy reforminitiatives. Increase level andeffectiveness of LGU spending forbasiceducation at school and locality levelsthrough direct mandates andcostsharing

schemes. Integrate all otherinternational and local projectinitiatives in basic education withinthe overall basic education reform

andoperations framework. Integrateperformance and internal auditmechanisms in the routine functionsof the public schools system. Identifymeasures to increase revenues fromeducation sector assets andadministrative rules to enable DepEDto use these revenues to financepolicy reform initiatives, includingteachers’ compensation and benefits.5.3 An ICT strategy for basic

education: Develop and adopt astrategy forcost-effective use of ICT in basiceducation (for classroom instructionandteachers’ training in schools, as wellas for use by DepED offices). Expandand mainstream those already tested,cost-saving educationaltechnologies as tried out in pastprograms and projects.

Proposed K 12 Basic Education Systemin the Philippines

Is the K-12 model good for thePhilippine education system? by Sarah Katrina Maramag ViaPhilippine Online Chronicles

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The enhanced K-12 program, or the

Department of Education’s (DepEd) proposal to overhaul the basic andsecondary education curriculum by

adding two more years to the system is

arguably one of the most drastic andcontroversial programs of the Aquino

administration.

The program is proposed to start in

school year 2012-2013 for Grade 1 and

first year high school students with thetarget of full implementation by SY2018-2019.

K-12 has been met with criticism fromyouth and student groups, teachers,

 parents and the academic community.The DepEd, for its part, appears

determined to enact the program with

its  proposed budget catering mostly to

 preparing the grounds for its eventualimplementation.

The DepEd argues that the K-12

 program will be the solution to yearly basic education woes and the

deteriorating quality of education.Critics, however, counteract that the

education crisis needs to be addressed

more fundamentally and adding moreschool years would only exacerbate the

situation.

Dissecting K-12

The K-12 model is an educationalsystem for basic and secondary

education patterned after the UnitedStates, Canada, and some parts of 

Australia. The current basic education

system is also an archetype of 

American schooling but with a 10-year cycle.

DepEd reasons that it is high time to

adopt a K-12 system, attributing thelow achievement scores and poor 

quality of basic education to the presentschool setup. Following wide protests

over the proposal, the department

released its official position defending

K-12.

Below are the main arguments and

corresponding counter-arguments from

critics.

1. The K-12 will solve the annual

growing number of out-of-school

youth. Students and parents, however 

complain that it would be an added burden to poor families.

While public education is free, a

 political youth group estimates that astudent would still need an average of 

P20,000 per school year to cover transportation, food, school supplies

and other schooling expenses.

Also, based on the latest FamilyIncome and Expenditure Survey,families prioritize spending for food

and other basic needs over their 

children’s school needs. Two moreyears for basic education would

inevitably translate to higher dropoutrate.

2. The K-12 will address low

achievement scores and pooracademic performance of elementary

and high school students. DepEd says

that the poor quality of basic educationis reflected in the low achievement

scores of students. Results of the

TIMSS (Trends in InternationalMathematics and Science Study),

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however, negate the connection of the

number of years to the performance of students.

According to results of the TIMSS, thelength of schooling does not

necessarily mean better scores. In fact,

some countries with the same or shorter school cycle garnered the highest

scores while those implementing the K-12 model or more years of schooling

got lower scores.

According to a study released byformer Deputy Education Minister Abraham I. Felipe and Fund for 

Assistance to Private Education

(FAPE) Executive Director Carolina C.Porio, the DepEd’s arguments are

“impressionistic and erroneous” because there is no clear correlation

 between the length of schooling andstudents’ performance.

The said study shows that fourthgraders from Australia had respectable

TIMSS scores despite having only oneyear of pre-schooling, while Morocco 

(two years of pre-school), Norway 

(three years) and Armenia and Slovenia (both four years) had lower scores than

Australia. South Korea, which has the

same length of basic education cycle asthe Philippines, was among the top

 performers in the TIMSS, while thosewith longer pre-schooling (Ghana, Morocco, Botswana and Saudi Arabia,

three years) had lower test scores.

Test scores of Filipino students,

meanwhile, were lower than thosegarnered by all 13 countries with

shorter elementary cycles, namely,Russia, Armenia, Latvia, Slovak 

Republic, Slovenia, Hungary, Bulgaria,Serbia, Romania, Moldova, Italy, Egyptand Iran.

In the high school level, Singapore thatalso has a four-year high school cycle,

got the highest score. Ironically, thePhilippines got a lower score together 

with countries that have longer highschool cycles like South Africa, Chile,

Palestine, Morocco and Saudi Arabia.

For the pre-college level, the

Philippines also got a low score, but sodid the United States, which has a 15-

year basic and secondary education

cycle. Students from Singapore, SouthKorea, Japan and Hong Kong, all with

shorter education cycles, got higher 

scores than America students.

3. The DepEd has enough resourcesto implement the K-12. Interestingly,countries whose students got high

scores in the TIMSS were the ones

whose governments allotted high publicspending for education.

Despite nominal increases in the total

education budget, the government has

 been spending less per capita on

education. The real spending per capita per day dropped to P6.85 in 2009.

From 2001 to 2009, education’s portion

in the national budget has steadilydecreased. This pales in comparison to

neighboring countries – Malaysia, 7.4 percent and Thailand, 4 percent. It is

also lower than the four percent

average for all countries that were

included in the World EducationIndicators in 2006. The country is alsolagging behind its Asian counterparts in

 public expenditure on education as a percentage of total public spending.

In a statement, President BenignoAquino III said that his administration

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is prioritizing education and, as proof,

the DepEd budget will increase by P32 billion in 2011.

However, according to Anakbayanspokesperson Charisse Banez, “Even if 

you combine the DepEd and SUCs

(state college and universities) budgets,it will only equal to three percent of the

GDP, a far cry from the six percentGDFP-amount advocated by the United

 Nations.”

The UN Educational, Cultural andScientific Organization (UNESCO)recommend that governments spend at

least six percent of their GDP for 

education.

Former Education secretary MonaValisno stated in a separated study that

DepEd needs at least P100 billion to

fully address the shortage of 93,599

classrooms and 134,400 seats and P63million for textbooks and scholarships.

Proponents of the program allude to the

experience of St. Mary’s Sagada  – aschool implementing K-12 that has

 been topping the National AchievementTest in Mountain Province. However,

aside from the K-12, the school also

has a 1:20 teacher to student ratio andis not suffering any sort of shortage in

faculty or facilities.

Critics of the K-12 assert that while

government resources have been found

wanting and insufficient for the present10-year cycle, how will it be able to

afford to fund a K-12 model?

4. The K-12 will open doors for more jobs for the youth, even without a

college diploma.

DepEd says that a K-12 program willimprove the chances for youth

employment as it is aimed to improve

technical-vocational skills throughfocusing on arts, aquaculture and

agriculture, among others. The K-12, it

further states, will ensure that studentsgraduating at the age of 18 will have jobs, thus making them “employable”

even without a college degree.

However, critics are quick to note that

the Philippines, that has a

 predominantly young population, also

has the highest overall unemployment

rate in East Asia and the PacificRegion. According to World Bank  

study, the country also has the highestyouth unemployment rate. YoungFilipino workers are twice as likely to

 be unemployed than those in older agegroups as they figure in the annual

average of at least 300,000 new

graduates that add up to the labor force.

The Department of Labor andEmployment (DOLE) reported in 2008

that 50 percent of the unemployed 2.7million nationwide were aged 15 to 24.Of these, 461,000 or 35 percent had

college degrees while about 700,000unemployed youth either finished high

school or at least reached

undergraduate levels.

Therefore, the persistent highunemployment rates, may not be

necessarily linked with the present 10-year cycle but instead with thecountry’s existing economic system

and the government’s job generation policies.

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5. Filipino graduates will be

automatically recognized as

“professionals” abroad. In the present

10-year cycle, the DepEd argues, thequality of education is reflected in the“inadequate preparation of high school

graduates for the world of work or entrepreneurship or higher education.”

What the K-12 program aims toachieve, therefore, is to reinforce cheap

semi-skilled labor for the globalmarket. With young workers, mostly

semi-skilled and unskilled workers nowmaking up an estimated 10.7 percent of the total Filipino labor migrant

 population, it comes as no surprise thenthat the government is now

 programming its youth to servicing

needs of the global market.

Labor migration, however, has resultedin the brain drain of Filipino skilled

workers and professionals. Ironically,while the DepEd and the governmentmouths a so-called

“professionalization” of the younglabor force in foreign markets, their 

significance to domestic development

and nation-building is sadly beingundervalued at the expense of 

 providing cheap labor under the guise

of providing employment.

While proponents and advocates hailthe K-12 model as the “saving grace”of youth unemployment, critics argue

that it will only aggravate the country’s

dependence on labor export and theinflow of remittances that do not

necessarily contribute to substantiveand sustainable nation-building.

A Filipino education

Lastly, the DepEd justifies the K-12

model by saying that the present short basic education program affects the

human development of Filipino

students.

Ultimately, regardless of whichever 

“model”, what the youth and countrydirely needs is for the development and

establishment of an education systemthat caters to the needs of the Filipino

youth and the society in general.

The crisis of the Philippine education

system, in all levels, is stemmed not on

the superficial, in this case the number 

of schooling years, but rather on theconditions and foundation on which it

subsists. Unless the governmentaddresses in earnest poor publicspending, high costs of schooling, the

 predominance of a colonial curriculum,lack of transparency and accountability

amid widespread corruption within the

sector and the development of thecountry’s science and technology for 

domestic development, all efforts willremain on the surface.

And neither 10 nor 12 years wouldmake much of difference.