Inaasahan ng Department of Education (DepEd) na luluwag ang siksikang mga classroom sa public schools at mas susuportahan ang private schools sa ilalim ng Basic Education Voucher Assistance Act, na pasado na sa Kongreso.
Tinuring ni Education Secretary Sonny Angara na makasaysayan ang panukala dahil gagawing institutional ang vouchers sa private schools mula Kindergarten hanggang Grade 12 at palalawakin ang eligibility hanggang sa middle-middle-income families.
Pinag-isa ng panukala ang Senate Bill No. 1981 at House Bill No. 4744. Target nitong bawasan ang matinding congestion sa public schools habang nagbibigay ng subsidy at welfare support sa private education sector.
“This milestone legislation provides a pragmatic solution to the logistical constraints of our public school system while giving middle-middle-income families more equitable access to quality schooling,” pahayag ni Angara.
“By expanding the voucher framework, we are building more sustainable partnerships with private educational institutions, which have always been integral to our national strategy for human capital development.”
Sa ilalim ng panukala, lalawak ang subsidy system ng gobyerno sa pamamagitan ng tuition assistance para sa qualified learners mula middle-middle-income households pababa.
Saklaw nito ang buong basic education, mula Kindergarten hanggang Grade 12, at susuporta rin sa learners na ang gustong Senior High School track o strand ay walang katumbas sa kalapit na public schools.
Batay sa provisions na inaprubahan ng Bicameral Conference Committee, prayoridad ng programa ang learners mula sa congested public campuses, mga lugar na walang malapit na public school, at vulnerable o disadvantaged sectors.
Maaaring makapag-enroll ang qualified learners sa mga participating private school sa pamamagitan ng centralized registry ng DepEd. Layon nitong palakasin ang monitoring, accountability, at quality assurance habang nagbibigay ng support sa private schools at teachers.
Pagkatapos ng bicameral approval, dadaan pa ang panukala sa final ratification ng Senado at House of Representatives, at sa approval ni President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. bago maging ganap na batas.
Katuwang ito ng kasalukuyang reforms ng DepEd sa ilalim ng DepEd Order No. 11, series of 2026, na nagpatibay sa governance, beneficiary targeting, monitoring, accountability, at implementation ng Enhanced Government Assistance to Students and Teachers in Private Education (E-GASTPE).
Inaasahang sisimulan agad ng DepEd ang preparatory work habang hinihintay ang pagsasabatas ng Basic Education Voucher Assistance Act.
“We must hit the ground running with our preparatory work so that the transition is seamless and the benefits reach our learners and teachers without delay once the bill is signed into law,” dagdag ni Angara. /Bistado