Rationalized Basic Education Act

TWENTIETH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES First Regular Session JUL -3 P3:55 SENATE S. No. _ Introduced by Senator Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada AN ACT RATIONALIZING THE PHILIPPINE BASIC EDUCATION SYSTEM BY REMOVING THE SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL EDUCATION, AMENDING PERTINENT PROVISIONS OF REPUBLIC ACT NO. 10533, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE "ENHANCED BASIC EDUCATION ACT OF 2013" AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES EXPLANATORY NOTE Republic Act No. 10533 or the "Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013" was passed with the goal to "create a functional basic education system that will develop productive and responsible citizens equipped with the essential competencies, skills and values for both life-long learning and employment". This law added two (2) new levels in the secondary education, namely Grade 11 and Grade 12, collectively known as Senior High School (SHS). SHS intends to align the Philippine education system with international standards by providing a bridge between secondary and tertiary education. SHS graduates are envisioned to be "holistically developed; equipped with 21st century skills; and prepared for the future, be it in the pursuit of higher education or acquisition of middle-level skills, or geared toward employment or entrepreneurship".1 Since this reform was implemented, it was a subject of criticisms and objections from different sectors of the community. Twelve (12) years after the enactment of the said law, it still has not fully achieved its goal. In the public * pidspn2315.pdf

hearing conducted by the Committee on Basic Education in the 19th Congress on May 8, 2025, no less than the Department of Education (DepEd) reported that "the SHS program has not yet reached its vision for the K to 12 graduates" because of: • Congested curriculum and cognitive mismatch: excessive number of competencies limit instructional depth; • Overworked students and teachers: instructional and homework time exceeds global standards; and • Low labor participation: 10% of SHS completers enter the workforce, mostly in informal jobs. During the same hearing, the survey on the "Satisfaction with the K to 12 Program of the Government" conducted by the Pulse Asia Research, Inc. from March 23 to 29, 2025, was presented which shows that only 32% of the respondents are satisfied, 42% are dissatisfied, and 25% cannot say if they are satisfied or dissatisfied. As to their "Satisfaction with the Senior High School of the K to 12 Program of the Government", the responses are almost similar - 33% are satisfied, 40% are dissatisfied, and 27% cannot say if they are satisfied or dissatisfied. Historically, the satisfaction on the SHS program, as evidenced by surveys, has been decreasing over the years. In June 2023, 41% are satisfied. The satisfaction rate decreased to 35% in June 2024 and further declined to 33% in March 2025. We cannot allow the learners and their parents to bear the burden of the time and the cost of taking SHS. This Representation received numerous feedback from learners and parents alike that they have not experienced the promised benefits of the implementation of SHS. This measure seeks to amend Republic Act No. 10533 to remove the SHS from the basic education system. This Representation is optimistic that the government, together with its partners and stakeholders in the education sector, will be able to formulate programs that are effective, efficient, responsive and just for the benefit of the Filipino children and youth.

In this light, the immediate passage of this bill is highly recommended. SINCE ART ESTRADA

TWENTIETH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES First Regular Session 25 JUL -3 P3:55 SENATE S. No. _ Introduced by Senator Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada AN ACT RATIONALIZING THE PHILIPPINE BASIC EDUCATION SYSTEM BY REMOVING THE SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL EDUCATION, AMENDING PERTINENT PROVISIONS OF REPUBLIC ACT NO. 10533, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE "ENHANCED BASIC EDUCATION ACT OF 2013" AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress assembled:

Section 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the "Rationalized Basic

2 Education Act".

Sec. 2. Section 4 of Republic Act No. 10533, otherwise known as the

"Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013" is hereby amended to read as follows: "SEC. 4. [Enhanced] RATIONALIZED Basic Education Program. - The [enhanced] RATIONALIZED basic education program encompasses at least one (1) year of kindergarten education, six (6) years of elementary education, and [six (6)] FOUR (4) years of secondary education, in that sequence. [Secondary education includes four (1) years of junier high school and two (2) years of senior high school education. "Kindergarten education shall mean one (1) year of preparatory education for children at least five (5) years old as a prerequisite for Grade I.

"Elementary education refers to the second stage of compulsory basic education which is composed of six (6) years. The entrant age to this level is typically six (6) years old. "Secondary education refers to the third stage of compulsory basic education. It consists of four (4) years of [junior] high school education [and two (2) years of senior high school education]. The entrant age to the [junior and senior] high school level [s are] IS typically twelve (12) [and sixteen (16) years old E, respectively]. "XXX."

Sec. 3. Section 5 of Republic Act No. 10533 is hereby amended to read as

follows: "SEC. 5. Curriculum Development. - The DepED shall formulate the design and details of the [enhanced] RATIONALIZED basic education curriculum. It shall work with the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) to craft harmonized basic and tertiary curricula for the global competitiveness of Filipino graduates. To ensure college readiness and to avoid remedial and duplication of basic education subjects, the DepED shall coordinate with the CHED and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA). "To achieve an effective [enhanced] RATIONALIZED basic education curriculum, the DepED shall undertake consultations with other national government agencies and other stakeholders including, but not limited to, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC), the private and public schools associations, the national student organizations, the national teacher organizations, the

parents-teachers associations and the chambers of commerce on matters affecting the concerned stakeholders. "The DepED shall adhere to the following standards and principles in developing the [enhanced] RATIONALIZED basic education curriculum: "(a) xxx; "XXX."

Sec. 4. Section 7 of Republic Act No. 10533 is hereby amended to read as

follows: "SEC. 7. Teacher Education and Training. - To ensure that the [enhanced] RATIONALIZED basic education program meets the demand for quality teachers and school leaders, the DepED and the CHED, in collaboration with relevant partners in government, academe, industry, and nongovernmental organizations, shall conduct teacher education and training programs, as specified: "(a) In-service Training on Content and Pedagogy - Current DepED teachers shall be [re] trained to meet the content and performance standards of the [new K to 12] BASIC EDUCATION curriculum. "The DepED shall ensure that private education institutions shall be given the opportunity to avail of such training. "(b) Training of New Teachers. - New graduates of the current Teacher Education curriculum shall undergo additional training, upon hiring, to upgrade their skills to the content standards of the [new] curriculum. Furthermore, the CHED, in coordination with the DepED and relevant stakeholders, shall ensure that the Teacher Education curriculum offered in these Teacher Education Institutes (TEIs) will meet necessary quality standards for new

teachers. Duly recognized organizations acting as TEls, in coordination with the DepED, the CHED, and other relevant stakeholders, shall ensure that the curriculum of these organizations meet the necessary quality standards for trained teachers. "(c) XXX."

Sec. 5. Section 10 of Republic Act No. 10533 is hereby amended to read as

8 follows: "SEC. 10. Expansion of E-GASTPE Beneficiaries. - The benefits accorded by Republic Act No. 8545, or the "Expanded Government Assistance to Students and Teachers in Private Education Act", shall be extended to qualified students enrolled under the [enhanced] RATIONALIZED basic education. "[The DepED shall engage the services of private education institutions and non DepED schools offering senior high school through the programs under Republic Act No. 8545, and other financial arrangements formulated by the DepED and the Department of Budget and Management (ĐBM) based on the principles of public-private partnership.]"

Sec. 6. Section 11 of Republic Act No. 10533 is hereby amended to read as

follows: "SEC. 11. Appropriations. - The Secretary of Education shall include in the Department's program the operationalization of the [enhanced] RATIONALIZED basic education program, the initial funding of which shall be charged against the current appropriations of the DepEd. Thereafter, the amount necessary for the continued implementation of the [enhanced] RATIONALIZED basic education program shall be included in the annual General Appropriations Act."

Sec. 7. Section 12 of Republic Act No. 10533 is hereby amended to read as

follows: "SEC. 12. Transitory Provisions. — The DepED, the CHED and the TESDA shall formulate the appropriate strategies and mechanisms needed to ensure smooth transition from the existing [ten (10) years basic education cycle to the] enhanced basic education (K to 12) cycle TO THE RATIONALIZED BASIC EDUCATION. The strategies may cover changes in physical infrastructure, manpower, organizational and structural concerns, bridging models linking grade 10 competencies and the entry requirements of new tertiary curricula, and partnerships between the government and other entities. [Modeling for senior high school may be implemented in selected scheols to simulate the transition process-and provide concrete data for the transition plan-] "[To manage the initial implementation of the enhanced basic education program and mitigate the expected muti year low enrolment turnout for HEIs and Fechnical Vocational Institutions (TVIs) starting School Year 2016-2017, t] The DepED shall CONTINUE TO engage in partnerships with HEls and TVIs for the utilization of the latter's human and physical resources. Moreover, the DepED, the CHED, the TESDA, the TVIs and the HEIs shall coordinate closely with one another to implement strategies that ensure the academic, physical, financial, and human resource capabilities of HEIs and TVIs to provide educational and training services for graduates of the [enhanced] RATIONALIZED basic education program to ensure that they are not adversely affected. The faculty of HEis and TVIs allowed to teach students of secondary education under Section 8 hereof, shall be given priority in

hiring for the duration of the transition period. For this purpose, the transition period shall be provided for in the implementing rules and regulations (IRR)."

Sec. 8. Section 13 of Republic Act No. 10533 is hereby amended to read as

5 follows: "SEC. 13. Joint Congressional Oversight Committee on the [Enhanced] RATIONALIZED Basic Educational Program [fk 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 BASIC Education E, 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."

Sec. 9. Section 14 of Republic Act No. 10533 is hereby amended to read as

follows: "SEC. 14. Mandatory Evaluation and Review. — [By the end of School Year 2014-2015] FIVE (5) YEARS AFTER THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS ACT, 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] RATIONALIZED BASIC EDUCATION program in terms of closing the following current shortages: (a) teachers; (b) classrooms; (c) textbooks; (d) seats; (e) toilets; and (f) other shortages that should be addressed. "xxX."

Sec. 10. Separability Clause. - If any provision or part hereof is held invalid

or unconstitutional, the remainder of the law or the provision or part not otherwise affected shall remain valid and subsisting.

Sec. 11. Repealing Clause. - Any law, presidential decree or issuance,

2 executive order, letter of instruction, administrative order, rule, or regulation contrary to or inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed, modified, or amended accordingly.

Sec. 12. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its

publication in the Official Gazette or in at least two (2) newspapers of general 7 circulation. Approved,