AN ACT ESTABLISHING THE OPEN HIGH SCHOOL SYSTEM IN THE PHILIPPINES AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR

Case Overview and Summary

Summary of Republic Act No. 10665 (Open High School System Act)

Establishment of the Open High School System (OHSS)
- The OHSS is established as part of the Department of Education's (DepED) alternative secondary education program to provide access to secondary education through open learning modality. (Section 4)

Declaration of Policy
- The State aims to broaden access to quality secondary education through an alternative program that will enable the youth to overcome personal, geographical, socioeconomic, and physical constraints, encouraging them to complete secondary education. (Section 2)

Definition of Terms
- Community Adviser, Learning Center, Mother High School, Open High School Teacher, Open Learning, Source Person, and Teacher Adviser are defined. (Section 3)

Coverage
- The Act applies to public secondary educational institutions authorized to practice open learning through self-instructional materials, multi-channel learning, and school-family-community partnership, as well as other qualified implementers of the OHSS. (Section 5)

Learners of the OHSS
- The OHSS is open to all youth and adults who have finished elementary education, as well as high school qualifiers of the Philippine Educational Placement Test (PEPT) and the Alternative Learning System (ALS) Accreditation and Equivalency (A&E) Test. (Section 6)

Administration and Functions
- The DepED shall administer the OHSS and perform various functions, including formulating policies, monitoring and evaluating existing programs, developing instructional materials, collaborating with stakeholders, promulgating guidelines, and recommending the annual budget. (Section 7)

Curriculum Content
- The OHSS shall adopt the K to 12 Enhanced Basic Education Curriculum using the standards and learning competencies of different subject areas. (Section 8)

Personnel Recruitment and Incentives
- Open High School Teachers and Teacher Advisers shall be enlisted from those currently teaching in the mother high school. (Section 9)
- Community Advisers and Source Persons shall be hired by the LGU and receive honoraria, with compensation for Source Persons later handled by the DepED. (Section 9)
- Qualified locally-hired teachers who have been performing the functions of Open High School Teachers prior to this Act shall be prioritized in hiring additional Open High School Teachers. (Section 9)

Training of Teaching Staff
- The DepED shall be responsible for training Open High School Teachers, Teacher Advisers, and Community Advisers, in coordination with LGUs and NGOs. (Section 10)
- Nonteaching stakeholders, such as parents and LGU personnel, shall also be included in the training program. (Section 10)

Establishment of Learning Centers
- Every DepED division shall establish learning centers in authorized mother high schools within their jurisdiction. (Section 11)
- LGUs may also establish learning centers, which shall continue to be under the authority of the recognized mother high school and the DepED division. (Section 11)
- The DepED division shall be responsible for hiring the Open High School Teacher who shall manage the day-to-day affairs of the learning center on a full-time basis. (Section 11)

Private Sector Participation
- Private educational institutions may establish their own privately-funded learning centers following the standards and criteria provided for the OHSS, subject to DepED approval. (Section 12)

Memorandum of Agreement
- The DepED and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) are encouraged to adopt a Memorandum of Agreement defining their respective roles in the operation of the OHSS. (Section 13)
- The DepED shall encourage and promote partnership with concerned civil society organizations and other service providers for participatory planning, budgeting, and implementation of OHSS-related programs and projects. (Section 13)

Appropriations
- The initial implementation shall be charged against the current year's appropriations of the Open High School Program of the DepED. (Section 14)
- Thereafter, the necessary amount for the continued operation of the OHSS shall be included in the DepED's budget in the annual General Appropriations Act. (Section 14)

Implementing Rules and Regulations
- Within 90 days after the effectivity of this Act, the DepED, in consultation with the DILG, shall promulgate the rules and regulations needed for the effective implementation of this Act. (Section 15)

Separability Clause, Repealing Clause, and Effectivity Clause are also included. (Sections 16-18)