ENHANCED BASIC EDUCATION ACT OF 2013

Case Overview and Summary

Summary of Republic Act No. 10533 (Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013):

Declaration of Policy (Section 2):
- Establish a complete, adequate, and integrated education system relevant to the needs of the people and society.
- Empower graduates with foundations for lifelong learning, work competence, harmony with communities, critical thinking, and self-transformation.
- Provide quality education globally competitive, responsive to learners' needs, and using appropriate teaching languages.

Basic Education (Section 3):
- Basic education meets basic learning needs and provides the foundation for subsequent learning.
- It encompasses kindergarten, elementary, secondary education, and alternative learning systems.

Enhanced Basic Education Program (Section 4):
- Consists of one year of kindergarten, six years of elementary education, and six years of secondary education (four years of junior high school and two years of senior high school).
- Kindergarten is a prerequisite for Grade 1, with an entry age of at least five years old.
- Elementary education is composed of six years, with an entry age typically six years old.
- Secondary education consists of four years of junior high school (entry age typically 12 years old) and two years of senior high school (entry age typically 16 years old).
- Instruction shall be in languages understood by learners, with a mother language transition program from Grades 4 to 6.

Curriculum Development (Section 5):
- DepED shall formulate the enhanced basic education curriculum design and details.
- DepED shall coordinate with CHED and TESDA to harmonize basic and tertiary curricula for global competitiveness.
- DepED shall consult with stakeholders, including government agencies, private and public schools, student and teacher organizations, parents-teachers associations, and business chambers.
- The curriculum shall adhere to specified standards and principles, including learner-centeredness, relevance, culture-sensitivity, contextualization, pedagogical approaches, mother tongue-based multilingual education, spiral progression, and flexibility for localization.

Curriculum Consultative Committee (Section 6):
- A committee chaired by the DepED Secretary shall oversee the review and evaluation of the basic education curriculum implementation.
- The committee shall have representatives from CHED, TESDA, DOLE, PRC, DOST, and business chambers like the IT-BPO industry association.

Teacher Education and Training (Section 7):
- DepED and CHED shall conduct teacher education and training programs, including:
- In-service training on content and pedagogy for current DepED teachers.
- Training for new teachers to upgrade their skills to the new curriculum standards.
- Workshops and training for school leadership (superintendents, principals, coordinators) to enhance their skills.

Hiring Guidelines (Section 8):
- DepED and private education institutions may hire:
- Graduates of science, mathematics, statistics, engineering, and other degree courses with shortages in qualified LET applicants, provided they pass the LET within five years or teach part-time (Section 8a).
- Graduates of technical-vocational courses with TESDA certification to teach specialized subjects, provided they undergo in-service training (Section 8b).
- HEI faculty to teach in their general education or subject specialties in secondary education, provided they hold a relevant Bachelor's degree and have satisfactorily served as a full-time HEI faculty (Section 8c).
- Practitioners with expertise in specialized learning areas to teach part-time in secondary level, with qualification standards determined by DepED (Section 8d).

Career Guidance and Counselling Advocacy (Section 9):
- DepED, in coordination with DOLE, TESDA, and CHED, shall conduct regular career advocacy activities for secondary level students.
- Career and employment guidance counsellors who are not registered and licensed may conduct career advocacy activities, provided they undergo a training program developed or accredited by DepED.

Expansion of E-GASTPE Beneficiaries (Section 10):
- Benefits under the Expanded Government Assistance to Students and Teachers in Private Education Act (RA 8545) shall be extended to qualified students enrolled in the enhanced basic education.
- DepED shall engage private education institutions and non-DepED schools offering senior high school through RA 8545 programs and other financial arrangements.

Appropriations (Section 11):
- The initial funding shall be charged against the current DepED appropriations.
- Subsequent funding shall be included in the annual General Appropriations Act.

Transitory Provisions (Section 12):
- DepED, CHED, and TESDA shall formulate strategies and mechanisms for a smooth transition to the K-12 cycle, covering infrastructure, manpower, organizational concerns, bridging models, and partnerships.
- DepED shall engage in partnerships with HEIs and TVIs for utilizing their resources during the initial implementation.
- DepED, CHED, TESDA, TVIs, and HEIs shall coordinate to ensure the capabilities of HEIs and TVIs to provide services for K-12 graduates.
- HEI and TVI faculty allowed to teach secondary education shall be given priority in hiring during the transition period.

Joint Congressional Oversight Committee (Section 13):
- A Joint Oversight Committee composed of five members each from the Senate and House of Representatives shall oversee, monitor, and evaluate the implementation of the Act.

Mandatory Evaluation and Review (Section 14):
- By the end of School Year 2014-2015, DepED shall conduct a mandatory review and submit a midterm report to Congress on the status of implementation, including key metrics of access and quality of basic education.

Commitment to International Benchmarks (Section 15):
- DepED shall endeavor to increase the per capita spending on education towards the immediate attainment of international benchmarks.

Implementing Rules and Regulations (Section 16):
- Within 90 days after the effectivity of the Act, DepED, CHED, and TESDA shall promulgate the rules and regulations needed for implementation.