Governance of Basic Education Act of 2001.”to protect and promote the right of all citizens to quality basic education free and compulsory education in the elementary level and free education in the high school level. Alternative Learning System for the out-of-school youth and adult learners To provide them with the skills, knowledge, and valuyes they need to become caring, self-reliant, productive, and patriotic citizens. The school shall be the heart of the formal education system.
School shall have a single aim for providing the best possible basic education. The State shall encourage local initiatives for improving the quality of basic education. The State shallensure that the values needs, and aspiration of a school community are reflected i the proram of education for the children, out-of-school youth and adult learners. Schools and learning centers shall be empowered to make decisions on what is best for the learners they serve
PURPOSES AND OBJECTIVES
The purposes and objectives of this Act are
- Framework for the governance of basic education;
- To define the roles and responsibilities of, and provide resources to, the field offices which shallimplement educational programs, projects, and services in communities they serve;
- Nationalism and foster love of country;
- Attention and education al program, projects, and services;
- Flexibility to serve the needs of all learners;
- Improvement of schools and learning centers;
- To establish schools and learning centers as facilities where school children are able to learn a range of core competencies prescribed forelementary and high school education programs.
POWERS, DUTIES AND FUNCTIONS
The Secretary of the Department of Education shall exercise overall authority and supervision over the operations of the Department. National LevelIt is under the powers of the Secretary of Education, wherein the Secretary has the authority, accountability and responsibility for 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;
- Enhancing the total development of learners through local and national programs and/or projects.
- The Secretary shall have the ff.
People:not more than four undersecretaries;Not more than four assistant secretaries whose assignments, duties and responsibilities shall be governed by law. At least one undersecretaryOne assistant secretary who shall be career executive service officers chosen from among the staff of the Department.
Regional LevelIt is under the power of the director, an assistant director and an office staff in which they has the authority, accountability and responsibility for the following:
- Defining a regional educational policy framework
- Developing a regional basic education plan;
- Developing regional educational standards;
- Monitoring, evaluating and assessing regional learning outcomes;
- Undertaking research projects and developing and managing regionwide projects;
- Ensuring strict compliance with prescribed national criteria for the recruitment, selection and training of all staff in the region and divisions;
- Formulating 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;
- 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;
- 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
Division LevelIt is under the power of the assistant schools division superintendent and an office staff wherein has the authority, accountability and responsibility for the following:
- 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;
- Hiring, placing and evaluating all division supervisors and schools district supervisors, employees in the division, both teaching and non-teaching personnel, including school heads, except for the assistant division superintendent;
- Monitoring the utilization of funds;
- Ensuring compliance of quality standards for basic education programs and for this purpose strengthening the role of division supervisors as subject area specialists;
- 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 8. Performing such other functions as may be assigned by proper authorities.
Schools District LevelIt is under the power of the schools district supervisor and an office staff has the authority, accountability and responsibility for the following:
- Providing professional and instructional advice and support to the school heads and teachers/facilitators of schools and learning centers in the district or cluster thereof;
- Curricula supervision;
- Performing such other functions as may be assigned by proper authorities.
School Levelschool head for all public elementary schools and public high schools or a cluster thereof. The school head, who may be assisted by an assistantschool head, shall be both an instructional leader and administrative manager. The school head shall form a team with the school teachers/learning facilitators for delivery of quality educational programs, projects and services. A core of non-teaching staff shall handle the school’s administrative, fiscal and auxiliary services.
- Setting the mission, vision, goals and objectives of the school;
- Creating an environment within the school that is conducive to teaching and learning;
- Implementing the school curriculum;
- Developing the school education program and school improvement plan;
- Offering educational programs, projects and services;6. Introducing new and innovative modes of instruction to achieve higher learning outcomes;
- Administering and managing all personnel, physical and fiscal resources of the school;
- Recommending the staffing complement of the school based on its needs;
- Encouraging staff development;10. Establishing school and community networks. Encourages the active participation of teachers organizations, non-academic personnel of public schools, and parents-teachers-community associations;
- Such donations or grants must be reported to the appropriate district supervisors and division superintendents;
- Performing such other functions as may be assigned by proper authorities.
The Secretary of Education shall create a promotions board, at the appropriate levels, which shall formulate and implement a system of promotion for schools division supervisors, schools district supervisors, and school heads. Promotion of school heads shall be based on educational qualification, merit and performance rather than on the number of teachers/learning facilitators and learners in the school.
The qualifications, salary grade, status of employment and welfare and benefits of school heads shall be the same for public elementary, secondary and integrated schools. No appointment to the positions of regional directors, assistant regional directors, schools division superintendents and assistant schools division superintendents shall be made unless the appointee is a career executive service officer who preferably shall have risen from the ranks.
