Republic Act No. 10157Kindergarten Education ActAn Act Institutionalizing the Kindergarten Education into the Basic Education System and Providing Funds Therefor

Ultimate Goal of the PolicyR.A. 10157

Background and Rationale Reality in Education: Rapidly changing world that needs empowered and lifelong learners Millennium Development Goal (2015): Achieve universal primary education Education for All (EFA 2015) : Basic Competencies for Everyone to Achieve Literacy for All

Legal Mandate R.A. 10157 Kindergarten Education Act approved January 20, 2012 with Implementing Rules and Regulations (DepED Order No. 32, s. 2012) Sec. 2 : All children can avail of mandatory, compulsory kindergarten education that effectively promotes physical, social, intellectual, emotional and skill stimulation and values formation to sufficiently prepare them for formal elementary schooling.

Sec. 3 c: Kindergarten education means one (1) year preparatory education for children at least 5 years old as prerequisite for Grade 1. Sec. 4: Institutionalization of Kinder Educ. starting SY 2012-2013 and thereafter be made compulsory for all incoming Grade 1

Sec. 5: ... Mother tongue of the child shall be used as the primary medium of instruction except in cases when there are many pupils who speak different mother tongues or the teacher does not know the mother tongue.

IRR DepEd Order 32, s. 2012Sec. 4: Institutionalization of Kindergarten Education: 4.1 General Kindergarten Education10-month program provided to children who are at least five years old in regular elementary schools

Inclusiveness of Kindergarten EducationTo cater the needs of learners with special needs: the gifted, those with disabilities, and diverse learners

1. Headstart program for the GiftedComprehensive program for the gifted and talented pupils in public elementary schools designed to address the educational, aesthetic, and social needs of children who manifest superior intelligence beyond their chronological age.

2. Early Intervention program for Children with DisabilitiesProgram designed for children who are identified with special educational needs.

3. Kindergarten Madrasah Programprovided for Muslim pupils enrolled in the public schools with Arabic Language and Islamic Values Education (ALIVE) classes.

4. Indigenous Peoples (IP) EducationProgram which ensures the preservation, recognition, promotion and protection of the rights of indigenous people, their ancestral domain, cultural identity and heritage.

5. Catch-Up Program for Children under Specially Difficult Circumstancesfor children six years old and above under specially difficult circumstances, such as , but not limited to, chronic illness, displaced children due to armed conflict, urban resettlement, disasters, child labor practice, who are not able to finish the General Kindergarten Program.

Kindergarten shall implement the Mother Tongue Based Multilingual Education Method (MTB-MLE)Section 5: Medium of Instruction

The MOI therefore shall be mother tongue EXCEPT:

When the pupils in the kindergarten classroom have a different mother tongue or when some of them speak another mother tongue

When the teacher does not speak the mother tongue of the learnersWhen Children Learn, Nation Prosper

When resources, in line with the use of the mother tongue, are not available andWhen teachers are not yet trained on how to implement the MTB-MLE program.When Children Learn, Nation Prosper

Rule II Duties, Powers, and Functions

Section 7.1 Oversee and supervise the organization, operation, and implementation of the kindergarten education program

Section 8 - Kindergarten Education General Curriculum

Includes expected standards and competencies expected of five year-old children along developmental domains.Rule III Curriculum

1. Headstart Curriculum for the Gifted

Provides experiences that are over and above the general curriculum.

2. Early Intervention Curriculum

Individualized and modified to suit the unique needs of children with disabilities.

3. Kindergarten Madrasah Curriculum

Provides Arabic Language and Islamic Values Education

4. Indigenous Peoples Education Curriculum

Provides educational service acceptable ti indigenous Peoples in genral and to specific communities in particular.

Rule IV Instructional Support.....DepEd shall provide instructional support to all public elementary schools

Basic Instructional MaterialsPhysical Facilities

Rule V Teacher Qualifications and Continuing Professional DevelopmentSection 10 Hiring and Deployment in addition to the guidelines for hiring, a kindergarten teacher shall have at least 18 units of Early childhood Education (ECE) or its equivalent units

Rule V Teacher Qualifications and Continuing Professional DevelopmentSection 11 Professional Development the DepEd shall continue to develop a set of standards for Kindergarten teachers.

Rule VI Authority Over the Operation of Private Kindergarten InstitutionsSection 12 ....The Deped shall have the authority to regulate the organization, operation and/or implementation of the kindergarten education program or both public and private schools.

Section 13 Private institutions may offer kindergarten education only when so authorized by the DepEd.

Section 14 The Regional Director shall have the authority, responsibility and accountability in improving the establishment of private kindergarten institutions and ensuring compliance of the school to the national educational policies, plans and standards.

Section 15 The DepEd shall prescribe the guidelines on the issuance of permit to and/or recognition of kindergarten schools, and revocation thereof through the Revised Manual of Regulations for Private Schools in Basic Education.

Rule VII Transitory ProvisionsSection 16 For SY2012-2013 and SY2013-2014, the following provisions are hereby adopted:16.1.1 Kindergarten Summer Program16.1.2 Early Childhood Experiences in Grade I Program

Rule VII Transitory Provisions16.2 Hiring of Volunteer Teachers ...those who meet the qualifications as mentioned in Section 10 of this IRR. In case there are no qualified volunteer teachers, those who are holders of an education degree or education-related courses shall be considered.

Rule VII Transitory Provisions16.3 Elementary teachers with sufficient training on ECE ...shall be assigned to kindergarten classes without jeopardizing their functions and shall be entitled to just compensation.

Rule VII Transitory ProvisionsSection 17 - Private entities offering free kindergarten education shall be allowed to operate for a period of two years from the date of effectivity of these Rules. Thereafter, said institutions shall cease to operate unless authorized by the DepEd.

Rule VIII Monitoring and EvaluationSection 18 - The DepEd shall enhance monitoring and evaluation system for the kindergarten program for both public and private schools.

Rule VIII Monitoring and EvaluationSection 19 - All Regional Directors and Schools Division Superintendent shall ensure that... 19.1 All schools offering kindergarten class comply with the DepEd policies and guidelines in accordance with this IRR, and

Rule VIII Monitoring and EvaluationSection 19 - All Regional Directors and Schools Division Superintendent shall ensure that... 19.2 Existing guidelines on the deployment of kindergarten teachers are strictly complied with.

Rule VIII Monitoring and EvaluationSection 20 - For purposes of tracking the progress of the learners, the DepEd shall assign a Learner Reference Number (LRN) to each child in the kindergarten.

Rule IX Final ProvisionsSection 21 - AppropriationsSection 22 Separability ClauseSection 23 Repealing ClauseSection 24 Effectivity Clause

"We cannot afford to postpone investing in children until they become adults nor can we wait until they reach school - a time when it may be too late to intervene."Heckman, J., 2001(Nobel Prize Economics, 2000)

Dr. Marilyn D. DimaanoDirector IVBureau of Elementary EducationThank You!

The world urgently needs a globally oriented, truly world-standard education to prepare its young people for leadership, work, and citizenship in the interconnected world of this new century. For the Philippines to be at par with other countries of the world, it is essential that kindergarten education should be provided to very young Filipino children. Researches have shown that kindergarten education is critical to the total development of the child for it is the period when the minds rapid absorptive capacity is at its sharpest. In this way, the challenge of developing empowered and lifelong learners could be addresses at an early stage of the childs development.

Kindergarten education is anchored on the Millennium Development Goal and Education for All for 2015. MDG 2012 aims to achieve universal primary education while EFA 2015 aims for the development of basic competencies for everyone to achieve literacy for all.

*In the Philippines, kindergarten education is already an integral part of basic education through the passage of R.A.10157 known as (Read slide*Institutionalization of Kinder Education starting SY 2012 -2013 partially and will be made compulsory next school year.

*The mother tongue shall be used as the primary medium of instruction except in cases when there are many pupils who speak different mother tongues or the teacher does not know the mother tongue.

In the Implementing Rules and Regulations, Sec. 4 (Read slide.)

4.1 General Kindergarten Education which is the 10-month program. 4.1.1 Inclusion of Kinder education that caters to children with special needs like the Headstart Program for the Gifted, Early Intervention Program for Children with Disabilities, Kindergarten Madrasah Program, and Indegineous Peoples Education. Likewise, there is a Catch Up Program for Children under Difficult Circumstances for children who 6 years old and above but not limited to chronic illness, discplaced children due to armed conflict, urban resettlement, disaster, child labor practice who are not able to finish the General Kindergarten Program.

**It incorporates special needs, histories, identities, languages, indigenous knowledge systems and practices and other aspects of their culture as well as their social, economic and cultural priorities and aspirations.

*