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Progress Made in Reaching the Unreached and Marginalized in Education towards

Meeting the EFA Goals

THE PHILIPPINE EXPERIENCE

Introduction

1. The implementation of Education for All (EFA) in the Philippines has undergone an evolution that was once deemed impossible. Initially being regarded as a mere project, just like myriad ones being implemented by the Department of Education (DepED), EFA has now become the basic objective of all activities in the Department inextricably linking various sectoral efforts in the country on the provision of basic education.

2. Amidst continuing rapid population growth, and persistent issues of under investment in education, high proportion of which going to salaries and benefits of personnel rather than to education development expenses, EFA has been made a backdrop of national policy planning and programming. As a result, basic education has now become a compelling responsibility of all sectors in the Philippines. As such, it is recognized that the Philippine progress in EFA to be discussed in this report is truly a countrywide accomplishment.

3. And although various recent educational reports are not encouraging in its findings and predictions that the Philippines will likely not be able to meet the EFA goals, and thus the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) as well, by 2015, the country stays positive and steadfast in its efforts to exhaust all means, explore and optimize all possible support, and pursue cost‐saving, non‐conventional means to improve chances of achieving universal and quality primary education.

4. In constant recognition of its goal to achieve “functional literacy for all Filipinos by 2015’‘, the efforts are mixed with innovative strategies to educate the uneducated, those with very little education, or those poorly educated. The key is in tracking the disadvantaged groups and mapping out a comprehensive picture of their socio‐economic, demographic characteristics; and establishing the causes of their marginalizaton.

5. The organization of this report follows the suggested outline of UNESCO which proceeds from a brief summary and discussion of the country progress in meeting the EFA Goals. In Chapter 1, the discussion will focus on the progress of the core EFA indicators from 2005 to 2009 at the national level. Chapter 2 will cover the key/major challenges confronting the country in meeting the EFA Goals as well as recommendations to address these issues. This chapter includes a brief discussion on the five major groups in the country that are currently the most marginalized in education.

6. Chapter 3 will report the policy initiatives and best practices of the Philippines in targeting the unreached and marginalized groups. This chapter also identifies the efforts being pursued by the country as a result of the recommendations of UNESCO, Bangkok published in the book entitled, “Reaching the Unreached in Education in Asia‐Pacific to Meet the EFA Goals by 2015: A Commitment to Action”. Finally, Chapter 4 covers those foreseen challenges in education beyond 2015.

Prepared by National EFA Secretariat, October 2010

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Chapter 1: Overall Progress in Meeting the EFA Goals

7. Taking off from the gains as recorded in the EFA Mid‐Decade Assessment in 2006 the country has since recorded an improvement in basic education performance. Albeit a modest increase, this is regarded as a more than a substantial improvement, considering that past performance was lackluster, since the onset of 2000. And although the country missed most of its EFA targets in 2005, performance in primary and secondary education, however, is slowly improving.

Table 1. Five‐Year Data Series on selected basic education indicators versus EFA 2010 and 2015 Targets

INDICATORS 05-06 06-07 07-08 08-09 EFA 2010 Target

EFA 2015 Targets

ELEMENTARY

Participation Rate 84.44 83.22 84.93 85.12 95.10 98.1

Drop-out Rate 7.33 6.37 5.99 6.02 No estimated average

dropout rate for elementary

Completion Rate 68.11 71.72 73.06 73.28 75.58 81.04

SECONDARY

Participation Rate 58.54 58.59 60.21 60.74 77.73 87.73

Drop-out Rate

12.51 8.55 7.45 7.45

No estimated average dropout rate for

secondary

Completion Rate 61.66 72.14 75.37 75.24 69.32 75.27

ALTERNATIVE LEARNING SYSTEM 2006 2007 2008 2009

EFA 2010 Target

EFA 2015 Targets

Number of Enrollees in DepED Delivered ALS Programs 134,697 147,136 319,208 332,500

Percentage of Completers in DepED Delivered ALS Programs 72% 75% 74% 75%

Accreditation and Equivalency Percentage of Passers vs Takers

Elementary Level 26% 26% 27% 25%

Secondary Level 18% 21% 24% 26%


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8. A more detailed discussion shall be devoted to each of the four (4) component objectives of the Philippine EFA Plan of Action and their respective core EFA indicators. The analysis will commence on reviewing the trend of progress from 2005 to 2008.

Overall Goal: Functional Literacy for all Filipinos by 2015

9. Adopted by the Literacy Coordinating Council in September 1997, functional literacy means that all individuals should possess a complete range of skills and competencies, i.e., cognitive, affective and behavioral which would enable them to live and work as human persons, develop their potentials, make critical and informed decisions, and function effectively in society within the context of their environment and that of wider community. Annex 1 shows the list of competencies based on the official definition of functional literacy.

10. The instrument that measures Functional Literacy in the Philippines is the Functional Literacy Education and Mass Media Survey (FLEMMS). FLEMMS is a national survey administered every five (5) years that gathers information on basic and functional literacy, the educational skills and qualifications and exposure of the Philippine population to mass media. The FLEMMS administered in 2008 revealed an increase of 2.3 percentage points in the Functional Literacy of Filipinos from 84.1 in 2003 to 86.4 in 2008. It is noteworthy that the country already exceeded the 2010 target on functional literacy set at 84.4.

11. In terms of actual numbers, around seventy six million (76 Million) of the estimated eighty‐eight million (88 Million)1 Filipinos are functionally literate.

Figure 1. Functional Literacy Rate (10‐64 years old)


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84.186.4

84.4

0

20

40

60

80

100

2003 2008 EFA Target 2010

12. In terms of regional performance, Figure 2 revealed that the National Capital Region (NCR) has the highest functional literacy rate at 94.0 percent, followed by Region IV‐A (93.5) and Central Luzon (92.1). The Autonomous Region for Muslim Mindanao has the lowest functional literacy rate of 71.6 percent.

Figure 2. Functional Literacy Rate by Region

0 25 50 75 100

ARMM

VIII

SOCCSKSARGEN

IX

V

XI

VI

IV-B

CARAGA

X

II

VII

CAR

I

III

IV-A

NCR

20032008

13. In order to realize the goal of making every Filipino Functionally Literate, the Philippine EFA Plan of Action identified four (4) component objectives, to wit:

a. Universal Coverage of Out‐of‐School Youth and Adults in the Provision of Learning Needs

b. Universal School Participation and Elimination of Drop‐outs and Repetition in the First Three Grades

c. Universal Completion of the Full Cycle of Basic Education Schooling with Satisfactory Achievement Levels


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d. Total Community Commitment to Attainment of Basic Education Competencies for All

14. With this four (4) component objectives, the Philippine EFA Plan identified nine (9) most critical and urgent tasks that needs to be pursued to enable the country to accomplish these objectives. Annex 2 shows the Nine (9) EFA Most Critical and Urgent Tasks.

Component Objective 1: Universal Coverage of Out‐of‐School Youth and Adults in the Provision of Learning Needs

15. The major strategy of the Philippines to accomplish this objective is through the alternative learning system. The alternative learning system (ALS) is an equivalent and parallel delivery system of formal schooling dedicated to provide education services to out‐of‐school youths, adults, as well as other marginalized groups who have no access to the formal basic education system. Annex 3 illustrates the configured national learning system adopted in Philippine EFA Plan of Action.

16. Production Task # 3 of the Philippine EFA Plan outlines the need for the Philippines to implement cost‐effective alternative learning options for achieving adult functional literacy. Along this line, the Bureau of Alternative Learning System (BALS) has engaged local service providers to provide literacy classes in various parts of the country.

Figure 3. Number of enrollees and completers in DepED procured ALS Programs

49,20953,263 54,500

127,386123,750

42,122

33,859

40,875

91,420 92,813

0

20,000

40,000

60,000

80,000

100,000

120,000

140,000

2005 2006 2007 2008 2009Enrollees Completers

17. From 2005 to 2009, there was a steady increase in the number of learners covered by DepED and various ALS service providers. However, there is a need to improve the number of completers in the DepED‐delivered ALS and DepED‐procured ALS Programs. In 2009, only seventy‐five (75%) completed the ALS programs on both types of delivery method.

Figure 4. Number of enrollees and completers in DepED delivered ALS Programs


6

57,273

81,43492,636

191,822

208,750

35,046

63,00269,479

145,076156,563

0

50,000

100,000

150,000

200,000

250,000

2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

Enrollees Completers

18. To measure improvement of learners, the BALS is implementing the Accreditation and Equivalency (A&E) Program which provides certification of learning for out‐of‐school youth and adults aged 15 years old and above who are unable to avail of formal schooling or who have dropped out of formal elementary or secondary education. This certification serves as credential of the A&E Test Passers in the event these learners wish to go back to formal education system, pursue tertiary education, or enter the world of work.

19. From 2005‐2009, the number of test‐passers of A&E Exam against the test‐takers at the primary level is marked with low performance. Passing rate remained at around 20% for the past four (4) years. In 2009, there is a sharp decrease in A&E Passing Rate at Primary Level from the previous year.

Figure 5. Passing Rate in Accreditation and Equivalency Test, Primary Level


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26.06 26.27 27.0425.10 20.22

0

25

50

75

100

2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

20. In Figure 6, Accreditation and Equivalency Passing Rate at Secondary Level was not sustained in 2009 while this was increasing slowly in 2005‐2008.

Figure 6. Passing Rate in Accreditation and Equivalency Test, Secondary Level

21.2025.8023.5221.2517.64

0

25

50

75

100

2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

21. It is a perennial challenge for DepED to get those who completed the Program to take the A&E Test and make them pass. There were anecdotal reports from the field that majority of those who pass in the A&E exam are not those who received ALS programs but those who dropped out from the school system. One of the reasons cited for low performance in ALS is the inadequate support from the Department of Education. The BALS budget as percentage of DepED budget remained less than one percent (1%) for the past four (4) years since 2005.

22. From the perspective of resource planning and programming, it is difficult to allocate resources when ALS data is questionable. Verily, the very nature of the Program makes tracking of its learners difficult. The DepED, however, is further strengthening its ALS management information system to better track ALS learners.


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Objective 2: Universal School Participation and Elimination of Drop‐outs and Repetition in the First Three Grades

Participation in Early Childhood Education (ECE)

23. The Production Task # 2 of Philippine EFA Plan stipulates that there is a need to expand ECCD coverage to yield more EFA benefits. In line with this, one of the country’s priority strategic thrusts in basic education is improving access to ECE Programs. DepED has been implementing Early Childhood Education as a strategy to strengthen elementary education, in collaboration with other providers such as the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and the LGUs through their Day Care Centers (DCCs), the private schools and the various NGOs and civil society groups.

Figure 7. Gross Enrolment Rate in Early Childhood Education (4‐5 years old)

20.53 21.15 21.5424.69

80

0

20

40

60

80

100

2005-2006 2006-2007 2007-2008 2008-2009 EFA Target 2010

24. At the moment, DepED is only able to capture data on ECE on 4‐5 year old children. Based on Figure 7, only 2 in 10 of children aged 4‐5 year old are able to access ECE Programs. This means that there is a need for DepED to capture data coming from other services. But more than the issue of data collection, the combined efforts of DepED, Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Local Government Units (LGUs), and NGOs seem insufficient to propel the attainment of the target of eighty percent (80%) EFA Target in 2010.

Figure 8. Percent of New Entrants in Grade 1 who have attended some form of organized ECE Program


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60.6862.78

64.86 64.62

100

0

20

40

60

80

100

2005-2006 2006-2007 2007-2008 2008-2009 EFA Target 2010

25. Since 2005, there has been a gradual increase in the percentage of new entrants to Grade 1 who

have attended some form of organized ECCE programs. However, the performance of 2008

(64.62) is still short of the universal target for 2010. The increase is attributed to

implementation of the 8‐week Early Childhood Education Curriculum in Grade 1. The

Department intends to even increase its capacity to capture more five year olds, especially that

Grade 1 Readiness Test revealed that the low readiness of Grade 1 Entrants is due to lack of

ECCE experience.

Universal Participation and Completion in Primary Education (Grades 1 to 3)

26. Primary education provides children the foundation skills to children necessary for lifelong learning. In terms of ensuring access to primary education regardless of age level, the performance of the country is already at 100%. However, GER at the primary and secondary levels are still short of the EFA Target.

Figure 9. Gross Enrolment Rate in Primary Education


10

101.13 99.97 101.92 102.09

115.31

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

2005-2006 2006-2007 2007-2008 2008-2009 EFA Target 2010

27. Looking at the school participation at the primary level, there is a minimal increase in the net

enrolment rate since 2006. There is still also a wide gap between the performance achieved in

2008 (85.12) and the 95.10 target for 2010.

Figure 10. Net Enrolment Rate in Primary Education

83.22 84.44 84.93 85.12

95.1

0

20

40

60

80

100

2006-2007 2005-2006 2007-2008 2008-2009 EFA Target 2010

28. In the case of secondary education, as shown in Figure 11, the rate of growth in terms of gross

enrolment rate remains flat for the past years. The secondary education sub‐sector is still far

away from the EFA Target for 2010.

Figure 11. Gross Enrolment Rate in Secondary Level


11

80.53 80.6 81.31 82.97

99.14

0

25

50

75

100

2005-2006 2006-2007 2007-2008 2008-2009 EFA Target 2010

29. In terms of net enrolment rate at the secondary level, there is a wider gap between the set

target of 77.73 for 2010 and the 60.74 achieved in 2008. Also the increase in the net enrolment

rate for the past years is imperceptible.

Figure 12. Net Enrolment Rate in Secondary Level

58.54 58.59 60.26 60.74

77.73

0

25

50

75

100

2005-2006 2006-2007 2007-2008 2008-2009 EFA Target 2010

30. Increasing Gross Intake Rate indicates that the country is capturing the repeaters and over‐age

children to enroll in Grade 1. From the view of providing education for all, this is good news.

However, from the organization’s perspective, there is a need to improve government’s

advocacy to entice parents to enrol their children to school once they reach the age of six (6).

Figure 13. Gross Intake Rate in Primary Education


12

115.24 117.49 119.23 119.01 120.18

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

2005-2006 2006-2007 2007-2008 2008-2009 EFA Target 2010

31. While the country has high gross intake rate in Grade 1, the percentage of six (6) year old

children entering the school at the right age is worrisome. As can be seen in Figure 14, less than

half of the Grade 1 pupils enters the first grade at the right age. Targetwise, the country still has

to work twice as hard next school year in order to achieve the target of 86.25.

Figure 14. Net Intake rate in Primary Education


13

36.6339.74

45.6248.41

86.25

0

20

40

60

80

100

2005-2006 2006-2007 2007-2008 2008-2009 EFA Target 2010

32. Comparing the data in 2005 and 2008 in terms of repetition rate at elementary level, there is a

steady decrease in the repetition rate with sharp decrease occurring at the first grade. With

respect with repetition rates in Grade 2 and 3, the performance of the Philippines is not far from

2010 targets which are 1.57 and 1.28, respectively. However, the country is still half way from

the EFA Target for 2010 on repetition rate in the first grade which is 2.45.

Figure 15. Repetition Rate in Primary Education

5.62

3.03

2.25

1.711.45

0.77

5.45

2.59

1.71

1.23 1.05

0.55

0

2

4

6

8

10

Grade 1 Grade 2 Grade 3 Grade 4 Grade 5 Grade 6

2005-2006 2008-2009

33. In Figure 16, School Leaver Rate remains high on the first 3 grades with most of the children leaving and dropping out of school in Grade 1. This is somehow correlated with low coverage of the ECCE programs. However, comparing SY 2005‐2006 and SY 2008‐2009, the trend is descending.


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Figure 16. Primary Level School Leaver Rate/Drop Out Rate

15.42%

5.09%4.17% 4.09%

5.21%

2.44%

3.76%2.79%

3.71%2.72%2.65%

13.14%

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

Grade 1 Grade 2 Grade 3 Grade 4 Grade 5 Grade 6

SY 2005-2006 SY 2008-2009

Figure 17. Secondary Level School Leaver Rate/Drop Out Rate

18.49%

9.98%

11.36%

8.62%

7.25%6.60%

7.26%

5.56%

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

Year I Year II Year III Year IV

SY 2005-2006 SY 2008-2009

34. At the secondary level, school leaver rate is also high in first year during the SY 2005‐2006. Latest data show that school leaver rate is declining at the secondary level. This might be caused by the aggressive efforts being undertaken by the Bureau of Secondary Education through their Drop‐Out Reduction Program (DORP).

Objective 3: Universal Completion of the Full Cycle of Basic Education Schooling with Satisfactory Achievement Levels

Completion Rate in Elementary and Secondary Education


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35. It is not enough that the country undertake efforts to improve access of education. On the same level of importance, the education system must ensure that those who enter the school system complete their education with satisfactory achievement levels.

36. As shown in Figures 18 and 19, the completion rates in primary and secondary levels are on track. The completion rate in the elementary level is steadily closing the target of 75.58 in 2010.

Figure 18. Completion Rate in Primary Education

68.1171.72 73.06 73.28

75.58

0

20

40

60

80

100

2005-2006 2006-2007 2007-2008 2008-2009 EFA Target 2010

37. With respect to the completion rate in secondary level, the country already exceeded the 2010 target of 69.32. In view of this, the country might need to review the target in 2015 which is at 75.27 on whether to retain it or to increase the target.

Figure 19. Completion Rate in Secondary Education


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61.66

72.1475.37 75.24

69.32

0

20

40

60

80

100

2005-2006 2006-2007 2007-2008 2008-2009 EFA Target 2010

Quality Education

38. The National Achievement Test (NAT) measures the quality of Formal Basic Education in the

country. In the elementary level, there is a consistent increase in the performance in English,

Science, and Mathematics. The most notable increase from 2005 to 2007 is in Science (46.77 to

57.90).

Figure 20. National Achievement Test Performance by Subject in Primary Level

54.05

60.78 61.62

46.7751.58

57.90

63.8960.29

53.66

0

20

40

60

80

100

2005-2006 2006-2007 2007-2008

English Mathematics Science

39. At the secondary level, there is a slight increase in English (from 47.73 in 2005 to 53.46 in 2007);

a marked drop in Math from 2005 to 2007 (47.82 to 42.85); and a noticeable increase in Science

(from 37.98 in 2005 to 46.71 in 2007).


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Figure 21. National Achievement Test Performance by Subject in Secondary Level

47.7351.78 53.46

47.82

39.0542.85

37.9841.99

46.71

0

20

40

60

80

100

2005-2006 2006-2007 2007-2008English Mathematics Science

40. Overall, the NAT in the elementary level is gradually improving for the past 3 years. However, the performance is still far from the beginning master level which is at 75 mean percentage score.

Figure 22. NAT Mean Percentage Score in Elementary Education

54.66

59.94

64.81

0

20

40

60

80

100

2005-2006 2006-2007 2007-2008

41. The pace in the secondary level performance is slower. For a period of 2 years from SY 2005‐

2006 to 2007‐2008, there was only a gain of 5 percentage points. However, considering the

previous performance reported in the country Mid‐Decade Assessment, the national


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achievement level in elementary and secondary education, generally, showed very promising

results.

Figure 23. NAT Mean Percentage Score in Secondary Education

44.3346.64

49.26

0

20

40

60

80

100

2005-2006 2006-2007 2007-2008

Objective 4: Total Community Commitment to Attainment of Basic Education Competencies for All

42. Education for all demands nothing less than all for education. In the EFA Global Monitoring Report 2009, it reiterated that achieving EFA requires partnerships at many levels‐between schools and parents, between civil society organizations and governments, between state and non‐state education providers. As the country’s contribution to the Global EFA Movement, the Philippine EFA Plan espoused the concept of Grand Alliance in the country.

43. The physical manifestation of Grand Alliance is the National Education for All Committee (NEC) composed of DepED, other National Government Agencies and Civil Society. One of the major accomplishment of NEC was the convening various government line agencies, House of Congress, and non‐government organizations to spell out commitment to achieve basic education targets.

44. The concept of Grand Alliance distributed the responsibility and accountability of basic education performance from DepEd alone to all sectors of the society. It operates in the principle that concerted effort to provide education initiatives would increase the propensity to achieve the targets.

45. Translating societal commitment to concrete terms should mean additional resources for basic education. Looking at the historical trend of budgetary allocation for the Department of Education from 2005‐2009, governmental commitment is not so promising as shown in Figure


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24. The share of DepED to the total National Budget remains at 12 percent. Despite the sharp ascent in the National Budget, the increase in DepED Budget is not discernible.

Figure 24. National Budget and DepED Budget (in Billions Pesos)

804908

954

1,1261,227

1,415

1,541

110 112 122 137 149 174 173

0

250

500

750

1,000

1,250

1,500

1,750

2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

National Budget DepED Budget

46. At the local level, the local government units (LGUs) augment the budget of schools. In a study on Basic Education Financing through the LGUs commissioned by DepED and AusAID, it was found out that “the LGUs provide supplementary funding support to public basic education because they have access to a sustainable source of financial resources that are earmarked for the basic education sub‐sector which is the Special Education Fund... “2. They reported that the Special Education Fund Expenditure as percentage of DepED expenditure ranges from 7% to 10%.

Figure 25. Total LGU Expenditure in Education (in Millions)


20

13,81613,226

11,06610, 311

0

2,500

5,000

7,500

10,000

12,500

15,000

2004 2005 2006 2007Province Cities Municipalities

47. Another good source of data to measure community commitment to basic education is the level of participation of local communities in the day‐to‐day operations of the school. As part reform thrust of BESRA, the DepED is pursuing the School‐Based Management (SBM) Approach to empower the schools. The SBM Framework has the following levels: Beginning (Level 1), Progressing (Level 2) and Maturing (Level 3). In all these levels, involvement of stakeholders in school planning is vital.

48. The Basic Education Sector Reform Agenda (BESRA) Progress Report documented that as of end of March 2010, about 27, 936 schools reported having prepared their respective school improvement plans (SIPs) as against the 2010 target of 31,284 schools.3 It also claimed that “there is evidence of an increasing number of schools which have developed effective and innovative school‐community partnership and introduced more effective instructions supervision in their SBM practice”4.

49. Private corporations, non‐government organizations (NGOs), civil society organizations (CSOs), people’s organizations and individual philanthropists have long been active in assisting the basic education service delivery.

50. Private corporations assist DepED through the Adopt‐A‐School Program. The Republic Act 8525 which creates the Adopt‐a‐School Program provides tax incentives to private corporations assisting public school, located in any of the poorest provinces. The data shown below from the Adopt‐A‐School Secretariat reveal that there have been significant increases in the contribution of private corporations in improving basic education in the country.

Figure 26. Private Corporations contributions to Basic Education thru Adopt‐A‐School Program (in Million Pesos)


21

169400

2,666

6,097

7,312

0

2,000

4,000

6,000

8,000

2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

51. In another study undertaken by SEAMEO‐INNOTECH and DepED under the auspices of National Education for All Committee on Basic Learning Needs (BLN) Service Providers, it found out that “non‐school based BLNs service providers such as are aplenty…Non‐government organizations comprise the majority of service providers, with a few international organizations, academic institution’s extension programs, and people’s organizations. These civil society organizations have played a major role in meeting the basic learning needs because they have not only been advocates of change but innovators and service providers as well”.5

52. Local communities also participate in annual school maintenance week dubbed as “Brigada Eskwela”. Parents, teachers, and other community members volunteer their time and donate some materials for minor school repairs during the month of May.

53. The private schools also indirectly help the public education system by sharing their excess resources through the Government Assistance to Students and Teachers in Private Education (GASTPE). Under this program, families are given the option to enroll in private school through tuition fee subsidy from the government. Currently, DepEd provides Php 5,000.00 subsidy to student enrolling in private school except for the National Capital Region (NCR), which is grants Php 10,000.00 per grantee.

Coordination Structures

54. As mentioned earlier, a National EFA Committee was created for better coordination and implementation of EFA. The current National EFA Committee is chaired by the Secretary of Education and co‐chaired by the Education Network. The NEC has the following functions: a) national coordination; b) policy‐making; c) social mobilization and advocacy; d) resource mobilization; e) preparation/updating of annual national targets; f) monitoring and evaluation and overseeing the creation and operation of sub‐national alliances. Backstopping the NEC is the National EFA Secretariat lodged at the Department of Education. Annex 4 shows the EFA Implementation and Coordination Mechanism.

Chapter 2: Key/Major Challenges in Meeting the EFA Goals and Addressing Marginalization in Education


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55. The observed generational problems and issues in the basic education outcomes can be summed up in four (4) distinct categories:

a. Almost stagnant basic education performance – access and efficiency;

b. Disparity and Marginalization – regional, gender, urban‐rural, socio‐cultural and physical; and

c. Shortage of critical resources – teachers and classrooms.

d. Weak linkages of governmental reforms and initiatives

Almost Stagnant Basic Education Performance

56. From SY 2005 – 2006 to 2008 – 2009 the net enrolment in elementary is moving up very slowly at an average growth rate of only 0.28% and 1.29%, respectively. This movement impressed low confidence to achieve our commitment to universal education (close to 100%), especially in the primary level.

57. However, while net enrolment is observed to be at a much slower pace, improvements in the holding power of schools, as reported in the preceding section on school leaver rate, suggests that multi‐sectoral initiatives are gaining momentum in achieving the targets.

55. On the other hand, the recorded Cohort Survival rates (CSR) in elementary (75.39%) and secondary (79.73%) for SY 2008 – 2009 are relatively low. This suggests that after six years many students are being left out from the cohort of students who entered Grade 1.

56. The performance of the ALS sub‐sector is similarly low. The A&E Passers Rate from 2005‐2009 remain unchanged at 20%. Likewise, enrolment and completers in ALS programs are not significantly increasing.

Disparity and Marginalization

55. Family income is a major factor that influences children’s participation to education. The regional disparity in basic education performance reflects possible marginalization due to poverty. NCR is ahead in all basic education performance indicators compared to other regions, particularly ARMM.

56. More so, income capacity of local government units (LGUs) to support basic education initiatives is also an important factor that boosts the performance of schools. Urban and rural areas differ not only in performance but also in their capacities in service delivery. Again, high income LGUs, especially in NCR, are better able augment school operations expenses.

57. Gender inequality is another form of marginalization. Unlike in other countries, educational outcomes of boys are lower compared to those of girls.

58. Although, basic education service delivery is not discriminative in nature, the government still needs to remove the internal and external barriers that limits access to the formal education system.

Shortage of Critical Resources


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55. While it is true that basic education receives the highest budget from the national government, the education spending in 2009 is only 2.3% of country’s GDP. This is considerably far from the suggestion UNESCO Delors Commission which should be at least 6% of the GNP. Developing countries, on the other hand, devote 20% of their national budget to education. From both practice, the Philippines lags behind.

56. Presently we are short with more or less 200,000 classrooms. The annual provision of Php 2 Billion for school shared between DepED and Department of Public Works and Highways, may not be enough to close classroom gap even in five years time. Besides construction, another pressing concern is the rehabilitation and repair requirements of many schools, particularly those in disaster‐inflicted areas.

Weak linkages of governmental reforms and initiatives

55. Educational problems are multi‐dimensional oftentimes interlinked with economics, health and nutrition, politics, population and national security issues. As such government bureaucracies and agencies need to tie‐up with each other and find ways where their programs and reforms could collaborate. For instance, there is a need to tie up education programs with anti‐poverty strategies. While Philippine Government has already introduced conditional cash transfers, targeted health and nutritional interventions to poor families, much is left to be done on other in far flung areas and areas that are severely disadvantaged.

56. While strengthening inter‐bureaucratic linkages, there is also a need to strengthen DepED horizontally and vertically to enable the organization manage the entire basic education sector. Management should commit political will and resources to implement the reforms that have been introduced under the Basic Education Sector Reform.

The Marginalized Groups

Muslim Children

55. The Muslims traditionally inhabited Mindanao, the islands of Basilan and Palawan, and the Sulu and Tawi‐Tawi archipelago in the south of the Philippines. Due to migration to other regions, this resulted to the formation of 3 distinct Muslim communities, namely, those who are in ARMM, and Muslim migrants in Visayas and in Luzon. The NSO 2000 census estimated Muslim Filipino population at 3.8 Million or 5% of the total Philippine population. More than half of these are settled in ARMM and Regions 9, 10, 11 and 12.

56. These regions have historically low performance in basic education. In the ranking of 189 DepED Divisions in terms of composite basic education performance, 24 of the bottom 40 divisions are from Mindanao Regions, with some ARMM provinces heading the least performing divisions.6 Also as recorded in the latest FLEMMS, ARMM is the region with lowest functional literacy rate and the region with sharpest decline from 2003 to 2008.

Indigenous People


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55. The indigenous peoples are commonly among the most marginalized and vulnerable segments of the population. In the Philippines, the lack of reliable official data on IP population and location has been a basic issue to their exclusion and has made them vulnerable in terms of access to basic social services and essential material conditions.

56. Majority of the identified IP groups came from the poorest regions of Mindanao. The ARMM marked the highest concentration of IP population at and with highest regional poverty incidence. Likewise, the same Region recorded the lowest overall education performance.

57. There is a marked decrease in the Functional Literacy Rate of Regions where there is a high concentration of indigenous people such as in Region II, Region IV‐B, Region IX, Region X, and Region XI.

Working Children

55. According to the National Statistics Office, a typical Filipino working child was mostly male, an elementary grader whose age was between 10 to 17 years old and usually rural‐based. More or less 60% of the working children 5‐17 years old were exposed to hazardous environment.

56. Around 1.2 million working children who attended school encountered problems or difficulties. The most common problems encountered by working children in schooling were difficulty in catching up with the lesson, high cost of school supplies/books/transportation, far distance of the school from residence, unsupportive teachers and no time to study.

57. Two in every five working children aged 5‐17 years old stopped/dropped out of school. More male working children are dropping out of school compared to their female counterparts.

Children in Armed Conflict

55. This class of marginalized group has dearth of data precisely due to involvement of armed non‐state actors. Notwithstanding, the Philippines, as signatory to the International Convention of the Right of Child, consider them as one of the most marginalized groups that need protection and assistance from the state.

56. It was reported that from January to December 2008, there were at least 600,000 internally displaced persons including children, which include those who fled during the conflict between government and armed groups, and were not able to return to their homes. These internally displaced persons are mostly residing in host communities and makeshift shelters outside evacuation centers with few provisions for basic education for affected children.

57. Those children that have been victims of armed conflict as well as former child soldiers are being rehabilitated and reintegrated into society through the implementation of Government social integration programs, which include financial and legal support, and access to education, health services and psychosocial services for these children.

Children in disaster prone areas

55. On the average, 20 typhoons land or cross the Philippines every year. As the trend shows, typhoons are getting stronger and stronger every time. This poses serious threats to education of children in disaster prone areas.


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56. The most recent typhoons, “Ondoy” and “Pepeng” have inflicted huge economic losses in most part of Luzon, specifically Regions I, II, III, IV‐A, CAR and NCR. Concomitantly, education activities from preschool to tertiary levels were also affected. As of February 2010, there were 4,590 affected elementary and secondary schools with an estimated damage of Php 2.6 billion.

Recommendations

55. The recommendations of the End‐of‐Decade Assessment of EFA can be broadly categorized as follows:

a. Education Financing

There is a need for Government to increase budget for education at par with international standards. The additional resources for basic education should be channeled to getting the most severe disadvantaged groups mainstreamed in the educational system.

Increase in budget provision should not be limited to formal basic education. Equal attention should also be given to cost‐effective and alternative delivery systems such as ALS and ADMs. True to expanded vision of education for all by all, it is imperative that as much as possible each EFA Committee Member Agency should allocate annual appropriation funds to implement EFA related programs.

In terms of funding of basic education at the local level through the Special Education Fund, the Government should establish mechanism in which the distribution of aggregate Special Education Fund will be more equitable across local government units. At present, some LGUs appear to have too many resources while some have too little in relation to school requirements under their jurisdiction. Among the options being explored is to have a sharing scheme on the SEF of affluent local government units with poorer local governments, “Big Brother” Program where books, buses and other educational assistance are extended to other LGUs by better off LGUs, and “Adopt‐A‐School” where schools from poorer LGUs are adopted.

b. Governance

Ensure equitable distribution of resources from national level to local levels giving sufficient weight to equity indicators such as poverty levels, health status and children out of school.

Fast track the institutionalization of various systems reforms formulated by the Philippines under the policy reform agenda popularly known as “BESRA” to fully support genuine decentralization of authority to regions, divisions and schools pursuant to decentralization of basic education governance.

c. Partnerships and Networking

There is a need for DepED to tie‐up its efforts with other agencies on social service sector such as the Department of Health, Department of Social Work and Development, and Department of Labor and Employment. The National Government should strengthen policies for combating poverty, inequality and other factors that compound low education


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outcomes. Child malnutrition must also be accorded priority by the National Government. This being the case, there is a need for Government to pass pending bills in Congress such as the Child Nutrition Bill which requires for mandatory health and nutrition program at school.

The Grand Alliance at the grassroots level should be put into operation to sustain the initial gains in education reforms.

d. Curriculum Enhancement

Ensure that policy on Multi‐Lingual Education is observed at the school level especially in teaching early grades.

Continuous enhancement of IP and Muslim Curriculum to ensure that education is relevant to the target beneficiaries.

e. Tracking Mechanisms

There is a need to fast‐track the installation of information management system that supports decision‐making at the Department of Education. Institutionalization of tracking systems for the marginalized and underserved sector of Philippine society is also important to reach the unreached.

Chapter 3: Key policies and/or good practices targeted at unreached, underserved, marginalized groups implemented as a result of the EFA Mid‐Decade Assessment and the Mid‐Term Policy Review, or after the Regional Meeting of National EFA Coordinators in May 2009

56. To address the multifarious issues in basic education, DepED developed a cross‐cutting policy reform framework to capture comprehensive, relevant and meaningful developments and improvements in all critical aspects of basic education service delivery. The Basic Education Sector Reform Agenda (BESRA), since 2005 has been looked upon by DepED and its partners as the best vehicle to move forward a system‐wide implementation of policy reforms. BESRA is an integrated system of education initiatives meant to start with reforming and empowering schools, with management operations at all governance levels serving as the supporting framework. Under BESRA, DepED has pursued the following policy reforms and programs which have been hailed by donor partners as best practices.

Education Financing

i. Outcome‐Focused Resource Mobilization and Management. The Department is undertaking priority policy actions geared towards reforming its financial management system in general. In particular, it endeavors to improve public expenditure generation and management to promote equity in resource allocation for schools and DepED offices and increase public and private investment in basic education through the following:

1. Equitable Allocation of Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses (MOOE). The Department is looking at implementing this policy starting 2011. The new


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formula of MOOE allocation goes beyond consideration of student population but also take into account presence or absence of critical resources in the schools and its locality and other physical and geographic factors.

2. Maximizing Basic Education Financing through the Local Government Units (LGUs). Capitalizing on the support of LGUs, DepED is now working with Department of Budget and Management (DBM) and Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) on the effective and efficient allocation and utilization of Special Education Fund (SEF) to support educational initiatives at the local level. SEF is collected from half of the LGU’s real estate tax which is shared by the province and its respective municipalities. As provided for under the Local Government Code of 1990, the proceeds of the said funds are allocated for the operation and maintenance of public schools, construction and repair of school buildings, facilities and equipment, education research and sports development with the actual spending priorities being determined by the Local School Board (LSB).

3. Capacity Building of DepED in Financial Management. DepED recognizes that the way to achieving financial management reform is intensive capacity building of the offices and staff directly involved in the implementation of these new systems, especially those engaged in actual financial management work.

Governance

ii. School‐Based Management (SBM). The SBM as the entry point of implementing desired improvements from school level up to the national is relied upon to gather support of community‐level stakeholders to put more local resources to schools for better learner outcomes. In the true context of decentralization, schools are empowered to identify their needs, the most appropriate interventions and the means to which they can best address these needs.

Curriculum Enhancement

iii. Strengthening of Early Childhood Education. Lack of preparedness to formal schooling and low education performance of learners has been pointed out to be caused by lack of preschool experience. In this regard, DepED together with DSWD are expanding coverage of preschool education by means of organizing more preschools, implementation of Preschool Service Contracting Scheme and the eight‐week preschool curriculum and nationwide advocacy for families for enrolment of their 5‐year‐old. The Department has also been pushing for the approval of the pending Bill on Preschool Education which will direct mandatory provision of preschool education.

iv. Curriculum Enrichment and Delivery. One of DepED’s priorities is the enrichment of the learners’ standards and the basic education curriculum based on the new definition of Functional Literacy. These should explicitly articulate the continuum of the entire stretch of basic education from preschool to elementary and secondary, delivered through formal school and alternative learning systems. At the same time, through the


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continuous curriculum improvement, the advocacy on acknowledgement and social integration of marginalized groups should come with ease.

v. Scaling Up and Institutionalization of Alternative Delivery Modes (ADMs). As response to this policy recommendation 1.1 from UNESCO, the Department of Education is scaling up and is institutionalizing the Alternative Delivery Mode (ADM) of Education. The ADMs are looked upon as the most effective means to make schooling more inclusive and effective for learners, especially those in difficult situations and disadvantaged settings.

vi. Multigrade Program in Philippine Education (MPPE). In Multi‐grade classes, the teacher combines two or more grade levels in one class. The purpose of this strategy is to provide education in far‐flung areas with incomplete elementary schools.

vii. Alternative Learning Systems (ALS). To provide basic learning needs, truly aligned with the EFA expanded vision of education, DepED addresses literacy concerns of out‐of‐school youths (OSYs) and adults through non‐formal and informal modes of education.

viii. Mother‐Tongue Based Multilingual Education (MTB‐MLE). This is an important milestone for the ethno‐linguistic groups. Research has proven that the use of mother language could facilitate the learning process, especially in the early grades. Policy of MLE is well enunciated in DepED Order 74, s. 2009 which provides for the institutionalization of MLE at the schools.

ix. Indigenous People and Muslim Education Program. In response to its commitment on inclusive education and to break the cycle of marginalization among learner of Muslim and IP origin, DepED reinforces its IP and Muslim Education Program through: (i) implementation of Road Map for Upgrading Muslim Basic Education; (ii) Standardization of Arabic Language and Islamic Values Education (ALIVE) curriculum in elementary public schools and private madaris; (iii) Development of National IP Education Policy Framework which will provide for reforms for enhancement of IP education.

x. Strengthened Livelihood Education Program. Through Technical and Vocational (TECHVOC) Education programs. Under this program, DepED empowers youth with employment skills and provide more relevant education and foundation skills to students providing wider opportunities for higher learning (college degree), employment or engaging in business ventures learners.

Information Systems and Tracking Mechanisms

xi. Use of Information and Communication Technology in Education and Management. The recently developed and currently being pilot‐tested School Information System (SIS) and Enhanced Basic Education Information System (E‐BEIS) are seen to drastically improve collection and analysis of education‐related data and tracking of school‐age children. The SIS incorporates the Student Tracking System Module of UNICEF which primarily aims to capture data of those children who are at risk of dropping out of school. Improved database information system maximize gains from reforms through better


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resource prioritization, targeting and policy planning. The Department of Education is pursuing these database systems in line with Policy Recommendation 1.1 of UNESCO.7

Human Resource Development

xii. National Competency‐Based Teacher Standards (NCBTS). In a study conducted by DepED with UNICEF, the inability of the learners to cope with school works because of weak teachers’ competencies was identified as one of the causes for learners dropping out. The developed and currently being implemented NCBTS, intends to institute standards‐driven and inclusive reforms in pre‐service training, selection, hiring, deployment, teacher performance appraisal, and in‐service development to enhance competencies of the teaching force.

Partnership and Networking

xiii. Working with other Education Partners (Donor Agencies, Non‐Government Organizations and Private Sector).

Below is the summary of education partners and their corresponding initiatives to support education in the Philippines.

Table 2. List of Education Partners and current initiatives

Partner Initiatives

United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)

Country Program for Children and Child Friendly School System

Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID)

Support to Basic Education through Basic Education Assistance in Mindanao Project

United States Agency for International Development (USAID)

Support to Basic Education through Education Quality and Access for Learning and Livelihood Skills Project (EQUALLS) in Mindanao

World Bank (WB) Supports basic education reforms in terms of funding provision, research, among other forms of technical assistance

Plan Philippines

The provision of a holistic packaged which includes parent education and provision of schools supplies in poor municipalities

Education Network (E‐Net) Support to EFA through the Grand Alliance

57. Annex 5 summarizes the Policy Recommendations of UNESCO, Bangkok as well as the corresponding actions undertaken by the Philippines.


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Chapter IV: Foreseen Challenges in Education Beyond 2015

58. The key message for this end of decade assessment is the need for the country to persevere for the remaining 5 years considering the slow progress of education outcomes in the country for this decade. Underlying conditions that contribute to the stagnating education outcomes are foreseen to linger beyond 2015. Among the key challenges that surely need to be address for the next decade are the following:

a. Sustainability of critical reforms

BESRA is successful in the initial steps of installing major reforms in the Department from school management, teacher development, curriculum, complementary programs, new systems and procedures, and among others. Many local and international partners supported the installation of these reforms. Although BESRA was highly applauded by education stakeholders and academicians, it is yet to saturate the more than 40,000 elementary and secondary schools. Extensive implementation of the programs and systems created through this reform agenda still requires so much expertise, funding, political and societal support and advocacy to reach every corner of the archipelago.

b. Localizing the Grand Alliance

The EFA Grand Alliance is the concrete expression that education is not solely borne by the Department of Education. However, in the grassroots level, Grand Alliance remains a concept. Local communities being host to schools and education clients could be important partners to improve performance but the partnership is slowly seeping.

c. Gender: Pushing Education Performance of Boys

Generally, boys come to school late, leaves the school early and do not complete the full basic education cycle. The low participation of boys in school, which is collectively driven by poverty increases with age, gives lesser opportunities for boys to complete full basic education cycle. This is exacerbated further by the occurence of disasters, work and lack of interest in school.

d. Private Education: Strengthening Public‐Private Partnership to Provide Quality Basic Education Services

Universal standard practices would ensure that quality basic education services is achieved in both private and public schools nationwide. The DepEd’s regulatory function is limited to issuance of permit to operate and recognition. As part of its Quality Management System Reform, the organization needs also to look into the curricular aspect of private education.

e. Education in Emergencies

The signs of the changing environment are progressively affecting our schools in various ways. The damages range from education infrastructure, teaching‐learning materials, textbooks, furniture, equipment, teacher performance and school attendance of students. The basic


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education sector has been struggling with its critical resources, and the damages caused by disasters widen the gap. Further, class disruptions either increases drop out or decreases performance of students in school due to occurring psycho‐social conditions.

Summary

58. Overall, a plethora of things need to be done to improve education outcomes in the country. Increasing functional literacy rate and decreasing education outcomes seem to challenge the conventional view of the causal link between education and literacy. Further this seems to point to other contributory factors affecting literacy in the country which is the mass media.

59. The present administration already pronounced that education will be the central strategy in investing in people, reducing poverty and building national competitiveness. The national government should capitalize the overwhelming support from the electorate to jumpstart and fast‐track the reforms in the basic education sector. The country remains hopeful that 2010 will signal the start of all initiated reforms taking root and resulting a ‘big turn‐around’.

Endnotes

1 Actual Philippine Population as of August 2007 based on National Statistics Office Website. 2 Manasan R., et al. Study on Basic Education Financing through the Local Government Units. A study commissioned by DepED and AusAID, 2010. 3 Basic Education Sector Reform Agenda (BESRA) Progress Report, June 2010, page 4 4 ibid. 5 A survey of Non-School Basic Learning Needs Providers, Programs and Financing in the Philippines, 2010 6 Draft Proposal on Project Prime 7 Reaching the Unreached Education in Asia-Pacific to Meet the EFA Goals by 2015: A Commitment to Action

ANNEX 2

Nine Most Urgent and Critical Tasks Six Production Tasks:

1. Better Schools: Make every school continuously perform better.

2. Early Childhood Care Development (ECCD):

Make expansion of ECCD coverage yield more EFA benefits.

3. Alternative Learning Systems:

Transform non-formal and informal interventions into an alternative learning system (ALS) yielding more EFA benefits.

4. Teachers: Get all teachers to continuously improve their teaching practices.

5. Longer Cycle:

Adopt a 12-year cycle for formal basic education.

6. Curriculum Development: Continue enrichment of curriculum development in the context of pillars of new functional literacy.

Three Enabling Tasks:

7. Financing: Provide adequate public funding for country-wide attainment of EFA goals.

8. Governance:

Create network of community-based groups for local attainment of EFA goals.

9. Monitoring:

Monitor progress in effort towards attainment of EFA goals.

ANNEX 3

Annex 4

EFA Implementation and Coordination Mechanism

National EFA Committee **National

Regional

Provincial/ City/

Municipalities/ Barangay

Level

RCEFA and RDC-SDC

Local Development Council/.Literacy

Coordinating Council (LCC)

National EFA Secretariat

(DepED-OPS-PDED)

EFA Implementation Coordination EFA Implementation Coordination MachineryMachinery

** ** Aside from other Aside from other government government agencies, agencies, LGUsLGUs, , NGOs and NGOs and business sectors business sectors are representedare represented

The EFA Philippine Plan of Action is the national source of vision and a holistic program of basic education reforms of the country, It shall rely on a network of broad and community based groups of advocates, implementers and champions of at the national and local levels. At the National Level, we have the National EFA Committee who has the following functions:

National coordination Policy making Social mobilization and advocacy Resource mobilization Monitoring and evaluation; and Overseeing of the operation of sub-national alliances

Composition: Chair - Secretary of the Dept. of Education Co-Chair - President, E-Net Philipp Members: CHED, TESDA, PIA, NEDA, DBM, CWC, ULAP, DSWD, DOST, DA, DOH, DOLE OMA, NAPC, NYC, DILG, Basic Education Committees of Congress (Senate and House of Representatives) SEAMEO- INNOTECH, UNACOM To ensure success and sustainability of the EFA movement in the regions, we have organized RCEFA through DepED Order N0. 94 s.2009. whose generic functions are the following:

Coordinate the translation of the EFA Plan 2015 to region-specific sub-plans Review and endorse plans, programs and projects appropriate for the region Ensure meaningful interface and complementation between school-based and

non-school based delivery ob basic learning needs Initiate and coordinate the development searching for funding and

implementation of basic education programs and projects Coordinate the integration of plans and programs of LGUs Undertake social mobilization and advocacy Provide timely and adequate feedback to the NEC Perform other related functions

The sub-regional committees shall be strengthened which shall serve as counterparts of the Regional EFA Committee at the sub-regional levels.

Annex 5

Policy Recommendations and DepED’s corresponding Initiatives Policy recommendation 1.1 – Strengthen policy towards children who are not in school and children who are at risk of dropping out of school • Development of tracking systems such as School Information System (SIS) and Enhanced

Basic Education Information System (EBEIS); • Conducted a research on the causes of dropping out with support from UNICEF; • Undertook nationwide consultation with Local Government Units on their role to increase

access of education in their respective cities and municipalities. Policy recommendation 1.2 – Implement national policies and strategies to support and promote inclusive and child‐centered education and promote active participation of unreached and underserved groups. • Adoption of Inclusive Education as a matter policy; • Adoption and implementation of Child Friendly School System; • On‐going development of Sector Monitoring and Evaluation System (from school level to

national level). Policy recommendation 1.3 – Remove all cost and legal barriers to accessing early childhood and basic education through: eliminating school fees and indirect costs; providing targeted financial support to the unreached and underserved children; and reforming legislation so that all children (regardless of their status) have the right to unimpeded access to education • Issuance of No Collection Policy during Enrolment; • Formulation of National Budget Strategy and providing more equitable formula for the

allocation of Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses (MOOE) to schools; • Provision for School‐based Management (SBM) grant to disadvantaged and low

performing schools • Implementation of Government Assistance to Students and Teacher Private Education

Program (GASTPE) Policy recommendation 2.1 – Remove all cost and legal barriers to accessing early childhood and basic education through eliminating school fees and indirect costs, and providing targeted support to unreached and underserved children and adolescents. • Implementation of Alternative Delivery Modes of Basic Education • Alternative Learning System • Conditional Cash Transfer to poor families as incentives to parents to send their children

to schools • SBM Grant to low performing schools

Policy recommendation 2.2 – Implement national policies and strategies that support and promote inclusive child‐centered education, and promote active participation of unreached and underserved groups in decision‐making and implementation. • Development and implementation of Madrasah and IP Curriculum • Implementation of Arabic Language and Islamic Values Education (ALIVE) program in

Southern Philippines • Formulation of Muslim and IP Education Project with funding from AusAID Policy recommendation 2.4 – Expand policy attention to learners who are not in school and children at risk of dropping out with consideration to gender • Accreditation and Equivalency Program; • Implementation of DepED delivered and DepED procured ALS programs • Implementation of various Alternative delivery modes • Established E‐Eskwela Policy recommendation 2.5 – Institutionalize gender mainstreaming in the education system, including ensuring gender balance in teacher education, and research on the gender differences in educational achievement of boys and girls. • Inclusion of Gender and Development topics in all training programs as provided by

existing Philippine law Policy recommendation 3.1 – Expand scope of literacy and lifelong learning for youth and adults. • Development of ALS Management Information System • Development of Education in Emergencies Framework • Provision of Basic Learning Needs through the assistance of Local Government Units • Joint Memorandum of Agreement between BALS and Institutions of Higher Learning on

Accreditation and Equivalency Certification of Learners • Development of National Basic Education Exit Exam anchored on the definition of

functional literacy. Policy recommendation 3.2 – Develop appropriate and adequate resources relevant to the local context – teachers’ capacity development – • Special Education Fund and other supplemental assistance coming from local government

units and local NGOs Policy recommendation 3.3 – Develop literate environments to support literacy practices –

• Establishment of Community Learning Centers (CLCs) • Inclusion of ALS as one of the items chargeable to the Special Education Fund Policy recommendation 3.4 – Create synergy between the formal and NFE system (to continue education that meets diverse learning needs) – • Implementation of Accreditation and Equivalency Program (A & E) • Implementation of Tech‐Voc Programs Policy recommendation 3.5 – Develop and implement comprehensive policy on mother tongue‐based multilingual literacy programmes (with appropriate financial allocation) • Formulated Multi‐Lingual Education Framework. • Institutionalized Mother Tongue Based Multi‐Lingual Education (MTB‐MLE); • Implement policies recognizing the use of mother tongue as language of instruction

beginning Grade I. Policy recommendation 4.1 – Implement comprehensive national policies for teacher/ facilitator education which set the norms and standards for teacher/facilitator competencies, and provides ongoing professional development. • Developed and Implemented National Competency Based Teacher Standards (NCBTS) Policy recommendation 4.2 – Improve the effectiveness and efficiency of curriculum implementation and develop sustainable content for course materials in school and TVET curricula – • Piloted tech voc programs in secondary education Policy recommendation 4.4 – Develop good quality teaching and learning resources and facilities, including the use of ICTs in teaching‐learning processes, teacher training and distance learning, etc. • Developed and Implement National Competency Based Teacher Standards (NCBTS) • Formulation of ICT4E Plan and Enterprise Architecture for Basic Education Policy recommendation 4.5 – Develop assessment frameworks and institute regular monitoring of learning achievements that recognizes a variety of ways for measuring success • Developed the National Assessment Framework Policy recommendation 5.1 – Institutionalize systematic and comprehensive monitoring and evaluation of EFA at the sub‐national and national levels, and sub‐regional and regional levels

with adequate and effective human resource support and active participation from key partners (governments, INGOs, representatives of marginalized groups, civil society groups, UN agencies, and donors) • National EFA Committee composed of different GO and NGOs including CSOs plays a vital

role in advocating EFA nationwide • Created Regional EFA Committees Nationwide Policy recommendation 5.2 – Develop national capacity in nationally standardized and mutually compatible school records, statistical data collection and analysis for more effective monitoring and evaluation of EFA that provides comprehensive information about the unreached and underserved population and promotes the use of disaggregated data in policy‐making, planning, programming, evaluation and budgeting • Development of School Information System, Enhance Basic Education System, Asset

Management System, Learning Resource Development and Management System, and Human Resource and Information System.

Policy recommendation 5.3 – Establish a regional capacity‐building programme to support the monitoring of EFA at the national level • DepED Order 94, s. 2009 Creation of Regional EFA Committees to carry out EFA related

activities in the regions. Policy recommendation 6.1 – Ensure adequate investment of resources to provide accessible education of good quality for all, particularly targeting the unreached and underserved populations, and ensure efficient and effective utilization of these resources. • Issuance of new guidelines on the use of Special Education Fund with focus on schools

with low resources • Provision of SBM grants to low performing schools • Adoption of more equitable formula for the allocation of Maintenance and Other

Operating Expesnses (MOOEs) Policy recommendation 6.2 – Strengthen governance and accountability systems to ensure efficient and effective service delivery for the unreached and underserved. • Installation of planning, quality management and monitoring systems at the school,

division, and regional levels Policy recommendation 7.1 – Expand and strengthen cooperation, coordination and joint actions to promote dialogues and information exchange and to maintain the EFA profile • Created a network of community‐based groups for local attainment of EFA goals through

the promotion of Grand Alliance where education is a Societal Responsibility

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