REPUBLIC ACT NO.

school education and two (2) years of

10533 senior high school education. The entrant
The Enhance Basic age to the junior and senior high school
Education Act of levels are typically twelve (12) and sixteen
2013SECTION 1 (16) years old, respectively.• For kindergarten and
Short Title. the first three (3) years
This Act shall be known as the ―Enhanced of elementary education, instruction, teaching
Basic Education Act of 2013″.SECTION 2 materials and assessment shall be in the
Declaration of Policy. regional or native language of the learners.
The State shall establish, maintain and The Department of Education (DepED) shall
support a complete, adequate, and formulate a mother language transition
integrated system of education relevant to program from Grade 4 to Grade 6 so that
the needs of the people, the country and Filipino and English shall be gradually
society-at-large.The State shall create a functional introduced as languages of instruction until
basic such time when these two (2) languages can
education system that will develop become the primary languages of instruction
productive and responsible citizens at the secondary level.• For purposes of this Act,
equipped with the essential mother language
competencies, skills and values for both or first Language (LI) refers to language or
life-long learning and employment. In languages first learned by a child, which
order to achieve this, the State shall:• (a) Give every he/she identifies with, is identified as a
student an opportunity to native language user of by others, which
receive quality education that is globally he/she knows best, or uses most. This
competitive based on a pedagogically sound includes Filipino sign language used by
curriculum that is at par with international individuals with pertinent disabilities. The
standards; regional or native language refers to the
• (b) Broaden the goals of high school traditional speech variety or variety of
education for college preparation, vocational Filipino sign language existing in a
and technical career opportunities as well as region, area or place.To achieve an effective
creative arts, sports and entrepreneurial enhanced basic
employment in a rapidly changing and education curriculum, the DepED shall
increasingly globalized environment; and• (c) Make undertake consultations with other national
education learner-oriented and government agencies and other stakeholders
responsive to the needs, cognitive and including, but not limited to, the Department
cultural capacity, the circumstances and of Labor and Employment (DOLE), the
diversity of learners, schools and Professional Regulation Commission (PRC),
communities through the appropriate the private and public schools associations,
languages of teaching and the national student organizations, the
learning, including mother tongue as a national teacher organizations, the parents
learning resource.SECTION 3 teachers associations and the chambers of
Basic Education. commerce on matters affecting the
Basic education is intended to meet basic concerned stakeholders.The DepED shall adhere to
learning needs which provides the the following
foundation on which subsequent learning standards and principles in developing the
can be based. It encompasses enhanced basic education curriculum:
kindergarten, elementary and secondary • (a) The curriculum shall be learner
education as well as alternative learning centered, inclusive and developmentally
systems for out-of-school learners and appropriate;
those with special needs.SECTION 4 • (b) The curriculum shall be relevant,
Enhanced Basic Education responsive and research-based;
Program. • (c) The curriculum shall be culture
The enhanced basic education program sensitive;• (d) The curriculum shall be
encompasses at least one (1) year of contextualized
kindergarten education, six (6) years of and global;
elementary education, and six (6) years of • (e) The curriculum shall use pedagogical
secondary education, in that sequence. approaches that are constructivist, inquiry
Secondary education includes four (4) years of based, reflective, collaborative and
junior high school and two (2) years of senior integrative;
high school education.• Kindergarten education - • (f) The curriculum shall adhere to the
shall mean principles and framework of Mother Tongue
one (1) year of preparatory education for Based Multilingual Education (MTB-MLE)
children at least five (5) years old as a which starts from where the learners are and
prerequisite for Grade I. from what they already knew proceeding from
• Elementary education - refers to the the known to the unknown; instructional
materials and capable teachers to implement
second stage of compulsory basic education
the MTB-MLE curriculum shall be available;• (g) The
which is composed of six (6) years. The
curriculum shall use the spiral
entrant age to this level is typically six (6) progression approach to ensure mastery of
years old.• Secondary education - refers to the knowledge and skills after each level; and
third stage of compulsory basic education. • (h) The curriculum shall be flexible enough to
It consists of four (4) years of junior high enable and allow schools to
localize, indigenize and enhance the same With a Shortage of Qualified
based on their respective educational and Applicants, Technical-Vocational
social contexts. The production and Courses and Higher Education
development of locally produced teaching Institution Faculty.
materials shall be encouraged and approval Notwithstanding the provisions of Sections 26, 27
of these materials shall devolve to the and 28 of Republic Act No. 7836, otherwise known
regional and division education unitsSECTION 6 as the ―Philippine Teachers Professionalization Act
Curriculum Consultative of 1994″, the DepED and private education
Committee. institutions shall hire, as may be relevant to the
There shall be created a curriculum consultative particular subject:• (a) Graduates of
committee chaired by the DepED Secretary or science, mathematics, statistics, engineering, musi
his/her duly authorized representative and with c and other degree courses with shortages in
members composed of, but not limited to, a qualified Licensure Examination for Teachers
representative each from the CHED, the (LET) applicants to teach in their specialized
TESDA, the DOLE, the PRC, the Department of subjects in the elementary and secondary
Science and Technology (DOST), and a education. Qualified LET applicants shall also
representative from the business chambers such include graduates admitted by foundations duly
as the Information Technology – Business Process recognized for their expertise in the education
Outsourcing (IT-BPO) industry associationThe sector and who satisfactorily complete the
consultative committee shall oversee requirements set by these
the review and evaluation on the organizations: Provided, That they pass the LET
implementation of the basic education within five (5) years after their date of
curriculum and may recommend to the hiring: Provided, further, That if such graduates
DepED the formulation of necessary are willing to teach on part-time basis, the
refinements in the curriculum.SECTION 7 provisions of LET shall no longer be required;• (b)
Teacher Education and Training. Graduates of technical-vocational
To ensure that the enhanced basic education courses to teach in their specialized
program meets the demand for quality subjects in the secondary
teachers and school leaders, the DepED and education: Provided, That these graduates
the CHED, in collaboration with relevant possess the necessary certification issued
partners in by the TESDA: Provided, further, That they
government, academe, industry, and undergo appropriate in-service training to
nongovernmental organizations, shall be administered by the DepED or higher
conduct teacher education and training education institutions (HEIs) at the
programs, as specified:• (a) In-service Training on expense of the DepED;• (c) Faculty of HEIs be
Content and allowed to teach in
Pedagogy — Current DepED teachers their general education or subject
shall be retrained to meet the content and specialties in the secondary
performance standards of the new K to 12 education: Provided, That the faculty must
curriculum. be a holder of a relevant Bachelor’s
The DepED shall ensure that private degree, and must have satisfactorily
education institutions shall be given the served as a full-time HEI faculty;• (d) The DepED
opportunity to avail of such training.• (b) Training of and private education
New Teachers. — New institutions may hire practitioners, with
graduates of the current Teacher expertise in the specialized learning areas
Education curriculum shall undergo offered by the Basic Education Curriculum,
additional training, upon hiring, to upgrade to teach in the secondary
their skills to the content standards of the level;Provided, That they teach on part
new curriculum. Furthermore, the CHED, time basis only. For this purpose, the
in coordination with the DepED and DepED, in coordination with the
relevant stakeholders, shall ensure that appropriate government agencies, shall
the Teacher Education curriculum offered determine the necessary qualification
in these Teacher Education Institutes standards in hiring these experts.SECTION 9
(TEIs) will meet necessary quality Career Guidance and
standards for new teachers.Duly recognized Counselling Advocacy.
organizations acting as To properly guide the students in choosing
TEIs, in coordination with the DepED, the the career tracks that they intend to
CHED, and other relevant stakeholders, pursue, the DepED, in coordination with
shall ensure that the curriculum of these the DOLE, the TESDA and the
organizations meet the necessary quality CHED, shall regularly conduct career
standards for trained teachers.• (c) Training of advocacy activities for secondary level
School Leadership. — students. Not with standing the provisions of Section
Superintendents, principals, subject area 27
coordinators and other instructional school of Republic Act No. 9258, otherwise known
leaders shall likewise undergo workshops as the ―Guidance and Counselling Act of
and training to enhance their skills on their 2004″, career and employment guidance
role as academic, administrative and counsellors, who are not registered and
community leaders.SECTION 8 licensed guidance counsellors, shall be
Hiring of Graduates of Science, allowed to conduct career advocacy activities
Mathematics, Statistics, Engineering to secondary level students of the school
and Other Specialists in Subjects where they are currently
employed; Provided, That they undergo a classrooms; (c) textbooks; (d) seats; (e)
training program to be developed or toilets; and (f) other shortages that should be
accredited by the DepED.SECTION 10 addressed.• The DepED shall include among
Expansion of E-GASTPE others, in
Beneficiaries. this midterm report, the following key
The benefits accorded by Republic Act No. metrics of access to and quality of basic
8545, or the ―Expanded Government education: (a) participation rate; (b)
Assistance to Students and Teachers in retention rate; (c) National Achievement
Private Education Act‖, shall be extended Test results; (d) completion rate; (e)
to qualified students enrolled under the teachers’ welfare and training profiles; (f)
enhanced basic education.The DepED shall engage adequacy of funding requirements; and (g)
the services of other learning facilities including, but not
private education institutions and non limited to, computer and science
DepED schools offering senior high school laboratories, libraries and library hubs, and
through the programs under Republic Act sports, music and arts.SECTION 15
No. 8545, and other financial Commitment to International
arrangements formulated by the DepED Benchmarks.
and the Department of Budget and The DepED shall endeavor to increase the
Management (DBM) based on the per capita spending on education towards
principles of public-private partnership.SECTION the immediate attainment of international
11 benchmarks.SECTION 16
Appropriations. Implementing Rules and
The Secretary of Education shall include in the Regulations.
Department’s program the operationalization of Within ninety (90) days after the effectivity
the enhanced basic education program, the of this Act, the DepED Secretary, the
initial funding of which shall be charged against CHED Chairperson and the TESDA
the current appropriations of the DepED. Director-General shall promulgate the
Thereafter, the amount necessary for the rules and regulations needed for the
continued implementation of the enhanced basic implementation of this Act.SECTION 17
education program shall be included in the Separability Clause.
annual General Appropriations Act.SECTION 12 If any provision of this Act is held invalid or
Transitory Provisions. unconstitutional, the same shall not affect
The DepED, the CHED and the TESDA the validity and effectivity of the other
shall formulate the appropriate strategies provisions hereof.SECTION 18
and mechanisms needed to ensure Repealing Clause.
smooth transition from the existing ten (10) Pertinent provisions of Batas Pambansa
years basic education cycle to the Blg. 232 or the ―Education Act of
enhanced basic education (K to 12) cycle. The 1982″, Republic Act No. 9155 or the
strategies may cover changes in physical ―Governance of Basic Education.SECTION 19
infrastructure, manpower, organizational and Effectivity Clause.
structural concerns, bridging models linking This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days
grade 10 competencies and the entry after its publication in the Official
requirements of new tertiary curricula, and Gazette or in two (2) newspapers of
partnerships between the government and general circulation.Reference:
other entities. Modeling for senior high school http://www.gov.ph/2013/05/15/republic-act
may be implemented in selected schools to no-10533/Delivered by:
simulate the transition process and provide Reymark R. Velasco
concrete data for the transition plan.SECTION 13 Thank you for
Joint Congressional Oversight listening
Committee on the Enhanced Basic
Educational Program (K to 12
Program).
There is hereby created a Joint Oversight
Committee to oversee, monitor and
evaluate the implementation of this Act.The
Oversight Committee shall be
composed of five (5) members each from
the Senate and from the House of
Representatives, including Chairs of the
Committees on Education, Arts and
Culture, and Finance of both Houses. The
membership of the Committee for every
House shall have at least two (2)
opposition or minority members.SECTION 14
Mandatory Evaluation and Review.
By the end of School Year 2014-2015, the
DepED shall conduct a mandatory review
and submit a midterm report to Congress as
to the status of implementation of the K to 12
program in terms of closing the following
current shortages: (a) teachers; (b)