Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Quezon City

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO. 4989

AN ACT
REGULATING CLASS SIZE IN ALL PUBLIC SCHOOLS
AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREOF

EXPLANATORY NOTE

This bill seeks to regulate class size in all public schools in
accordance with reasonable class size standards fitting and appropriate to
public school teachers.

The State shall protect and promote the right of all citizens to quality
education at all levels and shall take appropriate steps to make such
education accessible to all (Section 1, Article XIV, 1987 Constitution).The
state shall assign the highest budgetary priority to education and ensure
that teaching will attract and retain its rightful share of the best available
talents through adequate renumeration and other means of job
satisfaction and fulfillment (Section 5[5], Article XIV, 1987 Constitution).
To this end, the State shall enact measures that shall advance the
economic welfare of our teaching personnel.

Across the country, public school teachers are burdened by grossly
oversized classes. This has effectively contributed to the decline in the
quality of education. Regardless of our teachers’ personal capacity to
teach, oversized classes naturally zap their mental and physical strength.
Notwithstanding this flaw, our public school teachers continue to perform
their function, albeit underpaid, all in the interest of public service. To
some, it has led to serious illnesses which has compromised not only their
personal health but their families as well. Worse, no corresponding
increase in their salaries were given except for the simple and sheer notion


of knowing that they have contributed largely to the betterment of their
students and the country as a whole.

The State mandates the protection of our teachers. They deserve no
less.

Hence, this earnest request for the immediate passage of this bill.

ese eae

Representative
6‘ District, Pangasinan


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Be it

Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO. 4989

AN ACT
REGULATING CLASS SIZE IN ALL PUBLIC SCHOOLS
AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR

enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
Philippines in Congress assembled:

SECTION. 1. Title. This Act shall be known as “The Public
School Class Size Law.”

SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy. It is the policy of the
State to protect and promote the right of all citizens to quality
education at all levels. It is likewise declared that the State
shall provide just compensation and humane working
conditions for public school teachers.

Oversized classes in the country’s public schools
adversely effect the learning experience provided to Filipino
schoolchildren. To ensure access to quality education, it is
necessary to establish standards for class size.

For their part, teachers are entitled to protection from
unregulated increases in class size as well as to

compensation commensurate to their actual workload.

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SECTION 3. Coverage. This Act shall apply to all classes in
all public schools of the Department of Education, and to all
classroom teachers therein, whether paid by the national or

local government.

SECTION 4. Standard Class Size. Each class to be handled
by a single teacher shall have a standard size of 35 students.
For purposes of this Act, any class with no more than 35,
students shall be considered a standard class.

SECTION 5. Large Class Size. Any class exceeding 35
students up to a maximum of 50 students shall be
considered a large class. In no case shall a class size in

excess of 50 students be permitted.

SECTION 6. Large Class Honorarium. A Teacher handling
a large class shall be entitled to large class honorarium
equivalent to one percent (1.0%) of her daily rate for every
student in excess of the standard class size of 35.

This formula shall apply to all classes assigned to the

teacher during the school year.

SECTION 7. Implementing Rules and Regulation. The
Department of Education shall promulgate the rules and
regulations necessary for the implementation of this Act
within a period of sixty (60) days after its effectivity.

SECTION 8. Appropriations. The amount of Five Billion
Pesos (P5,000,000,000) is hereby appropriated for the initial
implementation of this Act. Thereafter, such sums as may be
necessary for the continued implementation of this Act shall

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be included in the appropriations for the Department of
Education in the annual General Appropriations Act.

SECTION 9. Separability Clause. If any provision of this
Act is held unconstitutional, all other provisions not effected
thereby shall continue to be in full force and effect.

SECTION 10. Repealing Clause. All laws. Decrees, rules
and regulations and other issuances inconsistent with this
Act are hereby repealed or modified accordingly.

SECTION 11. Effectivity. This Act shall take effect fifteen
(15) days after its publication in the Official Gazette or one (1)
newspaper of general circulation.

Approved,

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