page_title: Education in the Philippines
section_title: Elementary Education
hierarchical_section_title: Education in the Philippines / Formal education / K-12 / Elementary Education
caption_attribution_description: English: Photograph of a tarpaulin showing the different shifts for students in H. Bautista Elementary School in Marikina, w:Philippines
context_page_description: Education in the Philippines is provided by public and private schools, colleges, universities, and technical and vocational institutions in the country. Funding for public education comes from the national government. For the academic year 2017–2018, about 83% of K–12 students attended public schools and about 17% either attended private schools or were home-schooled.
  With the "trifocalization" of the educational system in the country, three government agencies handle each level of education. At the basic education level, the Department of Education sets overall educational standards and mandates standardized tests for the K–12 basic education system, although private schools are generally free to determine their own curriculum in accordance with existing laws and Department regulations. On the other hand, at the higher education level, the Commission on Higher Education supervises and regulates colleges and universities. Meanwhile, the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority regulates and accredits technical and vocational education programs and institutions in the country.
context_section_description: Elementary school, sometimes called primary school or grade school (Filipino: paaralang elementarya, sometimes mababang paaralan), is the first part of the educational system, and it includes the first six years of compulsory education (Grades 1–6) after compulsory pre-school education called Kindergarten. In public schools, the core/major subjects that were introduced starting in Grade 1 include Mathematics, Filipino, and Araling Panlipunan (synonymous to Social Studies). English is only introduced after the second semester of Grade 1. Science is only introduced starting Grade 3. Other major subjects then include Music, Arts, Physical Education, and Health (abbreviated as MAPEH), TLE (Technology and Livelihood Education) for Grade 6, EPP (Edukasyong Pantahanan at Pangkabuhayan) for Grades 4 and 5, Mother Tongue (Grades 1–3) and Edukasyon sa Pagpapakatao (synonymous to Ethics, Values or Character Education). In private schools, subjects in public schools are also included with the additional subjects including:Computer Education as a separate subject, though it is included in EPP and TLE through its ICT component. In Christian and Catholic schools, Religious Education is also part of the curriculum. Islamic schools like Madrasa schools have a separate subjects for Arabic Language and for Islamic Values or abbreviated as ALIVE. Chinese schools may also have subjects in Chinese Language and Culture. International schools also have their own subjects in their own language and culture.
  From Kindergarten until Grade 3, students will be taught using their mother tongue, meaning the regional languages of the Philippines will be used in some subjects (except Filipino and English) as a medium of instruction. Aside from being incorporated as a language of instruction, it is also a separate subject for Grades 1–3. But from Grade 4, Filipino and English as a medium of instruction will then be used.
  In December 2007, the Philippine president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo announced that Spanish is to make a return as a mandatory subject in all Filipino schools starting in 2008, but this didn't come into effect.
  Prior to the adoption of the Mother Tongue-Based Multilingual Education (MTB-MLE) system in school year 2012–2013, the Deped followed a Bilingual Policy. This called for the medium of instruction to be Filipino for: Filipino, Araling Panlipunan, Edukasyong Pangkatawan, Kalusugan at Musika; and English for: English, Science and Technology, Home Economics and Livelihood Education. Article XIV, Section 7 of the 1987 Philippine constitution mandates that regional languages are the auxiliary official languages in the regions and shall serve as auxiliary media of instruction therein. As a result, the language actually used in teaching is often a polyglot of Filipino and English with the regional language as the foundation, or rarely the local language. Filipino is based on Tagalog, so in Tagalog areas (including Manila), Filipino is the foundational language used. International English language schools use English as the foundational language. Chinese schools add two language subjects, such as Min Nan Chinese and Mandarin Chinese and may use English or Chinese as the foundational language. The constitution mandates that Spanish and Arabic shall be promoted on a voluntary and optional basis. Following on this, a few private schools mainly catering to the elite include Spanish in their curriculum. Arabic is taught in Islamic schools.
  In July 2009, the Department of Education moved to overcome the foreign language issue by ordering all elementary schools to move towards initial mother-tongue based instruction (grades 1–3). The order allows two alternative three-year bridging plans. Depending on the bridging plan adopted, the Filipino and English languages are to be phased in as the language of instruction for other subjects beginning in the third and fourth grades.
  Until 2004, primary students traditionally took the National Elementary Achievement Test (NEAT) administered by the Department of Education, Culture and Sports (DECS). It was inten
caption: Signage showing the different shifts for students attending the H. Bautista Elementary School in Marikina, Metro Manila. Starting in the 2010–11 school year, different year levels are given different class hours and are scheduled to go to school in different shifts to compensate for the lack of school buildings, teachers, and materials.
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