Congress of the Philippines
TWENTIETH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
House Bill. No. 1784

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RECEIVED
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BY REPRESENTATIVE SUN J. SHIMURA

AN ACT

RATIONALIZING THE PHILIPPINE BASIC EDUCATION SYSTEM BY
REMOVING THE SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL, AMENDING PERTINENT
PROVISIONS OF REPUBLIC ACT NO. 10533, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS
THE “ENHANCED BASIC EDUCATION ACT OF 2013” AND FOR OTHER
PURPOSES

EXPLANATORY NOTE

Republic Act No. 10533, or the "Enhanced Basic Education Act of
2013," aimed to create a robust basic education system in the Philippines.
Its core objective was to equip citizens with essential competencies, skills,
and values for lifelong learning and employment, fostering produ
responsibility. This landmark legislation introduced two addi
to secondary education—Grade 11 and Grade 12—collectively
known as Senior High School (SHS). The intention behind SHS was to
align the Philippine education system with international standards, serving
as a crucial bridge between secondary and tertiary education.

Despite its ambitious goals, the K-12 reform has faced significant criticisms
and objections from various sectors since its implementation. Twelve years
after its enactment, the program has yet to fully achieve its stated
objectives.

Adding more years to basic education hasn't necessarily translated into
better learning outcomes. Moreover, while a key goal of K-12 was to make
graduates employable directly after senior high school, many employers
continue to require a college degree. In fact, even the government itself
typically does not hire senior high school graduates. This situation risks
exacerbating joblessness and depressing wages in the Philippines by
increasing the number of job seekers without a corresponding rise in job
availability. Furthermore, the additional two years of senior high school


have undeniably increased the financial burden on Filipino families,
especially those in lower-income brackets.

In light of these ongoing challenges and the program's unfulfilled goals, the
immediate passage of this bill is highly recommended to address the critical
issues brought about by the K-12 program. -

REP. SUN J. SHIMURA


HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

House Bill. No.__1784

BY REPRESENTATIVE SUN J. SHIMURA

AN ACT
RATIONALIZING THE PHILIPPINE BASIC EDUCATION SYSTEM BY
REMOVING THE SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL, AMENDING PERTINENT
PROVISIONS OF REPUBLIC ACT NO. 10533, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS
THE “ENHANCED BASIC EDUCATION ACT OF 2013” AND FOR OTHER
PURPOSES

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

SECTION 1. Short Title. This Act shall be known as
the “Rationalized Basic Education Act.”

SECTION 2. Amendment to Section 4 of Republic Act No.
10533. Section 4 of Republic Act No. 10533, otherwise known as the
“Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013” is hereby amended to read as
follows:

“SEC. 4. {Enhanced} RATIONALIZED Basic Education

Program. - The [enhanced] RATIONALIZED basic education program

encompasses at least one (1) year of kindergarten education, six (6)

years of elementary education, and fsix-46)} FOUR (4) years of years

of secondary education, in that sequence. fSecendary_edueation
includes-four(4)-years-of junier-high_seheel_and twe-{2)-years-of
ane end
“Kindergarten education shall mean one (1) year of preparatory
education for children at least five (5) years old as a prerequisite for
Grade I.

“Elementary education refers to the second stage of
compulsory basic education which is composed of six (6) years. The
entrant age to this level is typically six (6) years old.

“Secondary education refers to the third stage of compulsory
basic education. It consists of four (4) years of {juAier} high school
education fand-twe-42)}-years-ef senior-high-scheet education]. The
entrant age to the [junier-and-senier] high school level [s-are] IS
typically twelve (12) [and-sixteen-+46)-years old f respectively].


BRR

xox’

SECTION 3. Amendment to Section 5 of Republic Act No. 10533.
Section 5 of Republic Act No. 10533 is hereby amended to read as follows:

“SEC. 5. Curriculum Development.- The DepEd shall formulate
the design and details of the [enhanced} RATIONALIZED basic
education curriculum. It shall work with the Commission on Higher
Education (CHED) to craft harmonized basic and tertiary curricula for
the global competitiveness of Filipino graduates. To ensure college
readiness and to avoid remedial and duplication of basic education
subjects, the DepEd shall coordinate with the CHED and the Technical
Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).

“To achieve an effective [enhanced] RATIONALIZED basic
education curriculum, the DepEd shall undertake consultations with
other national government agencies and other stakeholders
including, but not limited to, the Department of Labor and
Employment (DOLE), the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC),
the private and public schools associations, the national student
organizations, the national teacher organizations, the parents-
teachers associations and the chambers of commerce on matters
affecting the concerned stakeholders.

“The DepED shail adhere to the following standards and
principles in developing the [enhanced] RATIONALIZED basic
education curriculum:

“(a) x x x;

"x x.”

SECTION 4. Amendment to Section 7 of Republic Act No. 10533.
Section 7 of Republic Act No. 10533 is hereby amended to read as follows:

“SEC. 7. Teacher Education and Training. - To ensure that the
[enhanced] RATIONALIZED basic education program meets the
demand for quality teachers and school leaders, the DepED and the
CHED, in collaboration with relevant partners in government,
academe, industry, and nongovernmental organizations, shall
conduct teacher education and training programs, as specified:

“(a) In-service Training on Content and Pedagogy - Current
DepED teachers shall be [re] trained to meet the content and
performance standards of the [newk-te-42] BASIC EDUCATION
curriculum.


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“The DepED shall ensure that private education institutions
shall be given the opportunity to avail of such training.

*(b) Training of New Teachers. - New graduates of the current
Teacher Education curriculum shall undergo additional training, upon
hiring, to upgrade their skills to the content standards of the [new]
curriculum. Furthermore, the CHED, in coordination with the DepED
and relevant stakeholders, shall ensure that the Teacher Education
curriculum offered in these Teacher Education Institutes (TEIs) will
meet necessary quality standards for new teachers. Duly recognized
organization acting as TESs, in coordination with the DepED, the
CHED, and other relevant stakeholders, shall ensure that the
curriculum of these organizations meet the necessary quality
standards for trained teachers.

“(c) xxx.”

SECTION 5. Amendment to Section 10 of Republic Act No. 10533.
Section 10 of Republic Act No. 10533 is hereby amended to read as follows:

“SEC. 10. Expansion of E-GASTPE Beneficiaries. - The benefits
accorded by Republic Act No. 8545, or the “Expanded Government
Assistance to Students and Teachers in Private Education Act”, shall
be extended to qualified students enrolled under the [enhanced]
RATIONALIZED basic education.

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DepEb—scheels_effering_senior—high—scheot

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SECTION 6. Amendment to Section 11 of Republic Act No. 10533.
Section 11 of Republic Act No. 10533 is hereby amended to read as follows:

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


1 SECTION 7. Amendment to Section 12 of Republic Act No. 10533.
2 Section 12 of Republic Act No. 10533 is hereby amended to read as follows:

3

4 “SEC. 12. Transitory Provisions. - The DepED, the CHED and
5 the TESDA shall formulate the appropriate strategies and
6 mechanisms needed to ensure smooth transition from existing [ter
7 {40)-years-basic edueation-eyelete-the] enhanced basic education (K
8 to 12) cycle TO THE RATIONALIZED BASIC EDUCATION. The
9 strategies may cover changes in physical infrastructure, manpower,
10 organizational and structural concerns, bridging models linking grade
"1 10 competencies and the entry requirements of the new tertiary
12 curricula, and partnerships between the government and other
413 entities. [

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18 enrelment—turneut—for—HEIs—and—Teehnieat_Veeationat Institutions
19 PHis}—starting—Seheet—Year—2046;—2047;t] The DepED shall
20 CONTINUE TO engage in partnerships with HEIs and TVIs for the
21 utilization of the latter’s human and physical resources. Moreover,
22 the DepED, the CHED, the TESDA, the TVIs and the HEIs shail
23 coordinate closely with one another to implement strategies that
24 ensure the academic, physical, financial, and human resource
25 capabilities of HEIs and TVIs to provide educational and training
26 services for graduates of the [enhanced] RATIONALIZED basic
27 education program to ensure that they are not adversely affected.
28 The faculty of HEIs and TVIs allowed to teach students of secondary
29 education under Section 8 hereof, shall be given priority in hiring for
30 the duration of the transition period. For this purpose, the transition
31 period shall be provided for in the life implementing rules and
32 regulations (IRR).”

33 SECTION 8. Amendment to Section 13 of Republic Act No. 10533.

34 Section 13 of Republic Act No. 10533 is hereby amended to read as follows

35 “SEC 13. Joint Congressional Oversight Committee on the
36 [Enhanced] RATIONALIZED Basic Educational Program [(K-te42
7 Pregram)]. — There is hereby created a Joint Oversight Committee to
38 oversee, monitor and evaluate the implementation of this Act.

39 “The Oversight Committee shall be composed of five (5)
40 members each from the Senate and from the House of
a“ Representatives, including Chairs of the Committees on BASIC


Education {Arts—and—Culture;}-and Finance of both Houses. The

membership of the Committee for every House shall have at least
two (2) opposition or minority members.”

SECTION 9. Amendment to Section 14 of Republic Act No. 10533.
Section 14 of Republic Act No. 10533 is hereby amended to read as follows:

“SEC. 14. Mandatory Evaluation and Review. - [By the end of
School Year 2014-2015] FIVE (5) YEARS AFTER THE
IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS ACT, the DepED shall conduct a
mandatory review and submit a midterm report to Congress as to the
status of implementation of the [K to 12] RATIONALIZED BASIC
EDUCATION program in terms of closing the following current
shortages: (a) teachers; (b) classrooms; (c) textbooks; (d) seats;
(e) toilets, and (f) other shortages that should be addressed.

“KX x.”

SECTION 10. Separability Clause. - If any provision or part hereof is held
invalid or unconstitutional, the remainder of the law or the provision or part
not otherwise affected shall remain valid and subsisting.

SECTION 11. Repealing Clause. ~ Any law, presidential decree or issuance,
executive order, letter of instruction, administrative order, rule, or
regulation contrary to or inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are
hereby repealed, modified, or amended accordingly.

SECTION 12. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after
its complete publication in the Official Gazette or in at least two (2)
newspapers of general circulation.

Approved,