Republic Act No.

9155

AN ACT INSTITUTING A FRAMEWORK OF

GOVERNANCE FOR BASIC EDUCATION,
ESTABLISHING AUTHORITY AND
ACCOUNTABILITY, RENAMING THE DEPARTMENT
OF EDUCATION, CULTURE AND SPORTS AS THE
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, AND FOR OTHER
PURPOSES
SECTION 1. Short Title.

“Governance of Basic
Education Act of 2001.”
SEC. 2. DECLARATION OF
POLICY.
declared the policy of the State to protect and promote the right of
all citizens to quality basic education
making
such education accessible to all by providing all Filipino children
a free and compulsory education

in

elementary level and free education in the high school level

include

alternative learning systems for basic education to provide them

productive
caring
with the skills, knowledge and values they need to becomeself-reliant
patriotic
SCHOOL
 heart of the formal educational systems
 aim:
provide the best possible education
GOVERNANCE OF BASIC
EDUCATION
 begin at the national level
 at the

schools centers referred as field offices

regions
divisions
learning

Translated

programs, projects, services

SECTION 3. PURPOSES AND OBJECTIVES.

To provide the framework for the governance

of basic education
• set the general directions for educational policies and
standards and establish authority, accountability and
responsibility for achieving higher learning outcomes;

To define the roles and responsibilities of, and

provide resources to the field offices
• implement educational programs, projects and services in
communities they serve
SECTION 3. PURPOSES AND OBJECTIVES.

To make schools and learning centers the most important

vehicle for:
• teaching and learning of national values
• developing in the Filipino learners love of country and pride in its
rich heritage;

To ensure that schools and learning centers receive the

kind of focused attention they deserve and that
educational programs, projects and services take into
account the interests of all members of the community

To enable the schools and learning centers to reflect the

values of the community
SECTION 3. PURPOSES AND OBJECTIVES.

To encourage local initiatives for the improvement of

schools and learning centers

• to provide the means by which these improvements may be achieved and

sustained

To establish schools and learning centers as facilities

where:

• school children are able to learn a range of core competencies

• out-of-school youth and adult learners are provided alternative learning
programs
SECTION 4. DEFINITION OF TERMS

Alternative Learning System

• to provide a viable alternative to the existing formal education instruction

Basic Education
• education intended to meet basic learning needs which lays the foundation on which
subsequent learning can be based
• encompasses early childhood, elementary and high school education as well as
alternative learning systems for out-of-school youth and adult learners and includes
education for those with special needs

Cluster of Schools
• a group of schools which are geographically contiguous and brought together to improve
the learning outcomes
SECTION 4. DEFINITION OF TERMS

Formal Education 
• systematic and deliberate process of hierarchically structured
and sequential learning corresponding to the general concept
of elementary and secondary level of schooling

Information Education
• a lifelong process of learning by which every person acquires
and accumulates knowledge, skills, attitudes and insights
from daily experiences at home, at work, at play and from life
itself

Integrated Schools
• a school that offers a complete basic education in one school
site and has unified instructional programs
SECTION 4. DEFINITION OF TERMS

Learner
• any individual seeking basic literacy skills and
functional life skills or support services for the
improvement of the quality of his/her life

Learning Center
• a physical space to house learning resources and
facilities of a learning program for out-of-school youth
and adults

Learning Facilitator
• the key-learning support person who is responsible for
supervising/facilitating the learning process and
activities of the learners
Non-Formal Education
• any organized, systematic educational activity carried outside
the framework of the formal system to provide selected types
of learning to a segment of the population

Quality Education
• the appropriateness, relevance and excellence of the
education given to meet the needs and aspirations of an
individual and society

School Head
• a person responsible for the administrative and
instructional supervision of the school or cluster of
schools

School
-an educational institution, private and public, undertaking
educational operation with a specific age-group of pupils or
students pursuing defined studies at defined levels, receiving
instruction from teachers
CHAPTER 1
 GOVERNANCE OF
BASIC EDUCATION
SHARED GOVERNANCE
A. A principle that recognizes every unit in the education
bureaucracy has:
1. Particular role

2. Task

3. Responsibility

inherent in the office and for which it is principally

accountable for outcomes
SECTION 5: PRINCIPLES OF SHARED
GOVERNANCE
B. The process of democratic consultation shall be observed in the
decision-making process at appropriate levels. 

The principles of accountability and transparency shall be

C. operationalized in the performance of functions and responsibilities at
all levels

D. The communication channels of field offices shall be strengthened to

facilitate flow of information and expand linkages with other
government agencies, local government units and nongovernmental
organizations for effective governance.
SECTION 6: GOVERNANCE

DepartmentDepartment
of Education, of
Culture and Sports
Education

vested with authority

accountability
responsibility
for:

ensuring access to, promoting

equity in, and improving the
quality of basic education

.
SECTION 7. POWERS, DUTIES AND
FUNCTIONS

The Secretary of the Department of

Education shall exercise overall
authority and supervision over the
operations of the Department.
A.   NATIONAL LEVEL
In addition to his/her powers under the existing laws, the
Secretary of the Department of Education shall have the
authority, accountability of the following:

 Formulating national educational policies;

 Formulating a national basic education plan;

 Promulgating national educational standards;

 Monitoring and assessing national learning outcomes;

 Undertaking national educational research and studies;

 Enhancing the employment status, professional competence,

welfare and working conditions of all personnel of the
Department; and
 Enhancing the total development of learners through local and
national programs and/or projects.
A.   NATIONAL LEVEL

Secretary of the Department of Education shall be

assisted by not more than four (4)
undersecretaries and not more than four (4)
assistant secretaries whose assignments, duties
and responsibilities shall be governed by law.
B.   REGIONAL LEVEL

Each regional office shall have a director, an

assistant director and an office staff for program
promotion and support, planning, administrative
and fiscal services.
CONSISTENT WITH THE NATIONAL EDUCATIONAL POLICIES, PLANS,
AND STANDARDS, THE REGIONAL DIRECTOR SHAVE HAVE THE
AUTHORITY, ACCOUNTABILITY, AND RESPONSIBILITY OF THE
FOLLOWING:

Defining a regional educational policy framework which reflects the values, needs and
expectations of the communities they serve

Developing a regional basic education plan;

Developing regional educational standards with a view towards benchmarking for international
competitiveness;

Monitoring, evaluating and assessing regional learning outcomes;

Undertaking research projects and developing and managing region wide projects which may be funded
through official development assistance and/or other funding agencies;

Ensuring strict compliance with prescribed national criteria for the recruitment, selection and training of all
staff in the region and divisions;

Formulating, in coordination with the regional development council, the budget to support the regional
educational plan which shall take into account the educational plans of the divisions and districts;

Determining the organization component of the divisions and districts and approving the proposed staffing
pattern of all employees in the divisions and districts;

Hiring, placing and evaluating all employees in the regional office, except for the position of assistant
director;

Evaluating all schools division superintendents and assistant division superintendents in the region;
Planning and managing the effective and
efficient use of all personnel, physical and
fiscal resources of the regional office,
including professional staff development;
• Managing the database and management information
system of the region;

Approving the establishment of public and

private elementary and high schools and
learning centers

• Performing such other functions as may be assigned by

proper authorities.
C.   DIVISION LEVEL
A division shall consist of:
a. a province or a city
one assistant schools
schools division
At least division
superintendent One
superintendent

Office staff

programs promotion,
planning, administrative,
fiscal, legal, ancillary and
other support services
Consistent with the national educational policies, plans and
standards, the schools division superintendents shall have
authority, accountability and responsibility for the
following:
C.   DIVISION LEVEL
 Developing and implementing division education
development plans;

 Planning and managing the effective and efficient use of

all personnel, physical and fiscal resources of the
division, including professional staff development;

 Hiring, placing and evaluating all division supervisors

and schools district supervisors as well as all employees
in the division, both teaching and non-teaching
personnel, including school heads, except for the
assistant division superintendent
C.   DIVISION LEVEL

 Monitoring the utilization of funds provided by

the national government and the local
government units to the schools and learning
centers;

 Ensuring compliance of quality standards for

basic education programs and for this purpose
strengthening the role of division supervisors as
subject area specialists
C.   DIVISION LEVEL
  Promoting awareness of and adherence by all schools
and learning centers to accreditation standards prescribed
by the Secretary of Education;

 Supervising the operations of all public and private

elementary, secondary and integrated schools, and
learning centers; and

 Performing such other functions as may be assigned by

proper authorities.