Basic Education Sector Reform Agenda

(BESRA)

The Department of Education (DepED) is currently implementing the Schools First Initiative,
an effort to improve basic education outcomes through a broadly participated, popular
movement featuring a wide variety of initiatives undertaken by individual schools and
communities as well as networks of schools at localities involving school districts and
divisions, local governments, civil society organizations and other stakeholder groups and
associations.

Even as the Schools First Initiative seeks to improve the way all public schools perform now,
the DepED is also undertaking fundamental reforms to sustain better performance. DepED is
pursuing a package of policy reforms that as a whole seeks to systematically improve critical
regulatory, institutional, structural, financial, cultural, physical and informational conditions
affecting basic education provision, access and delivery on the ground. These policy reforms
are expected to create critical changes necessary to further accelerate, broaden, deepen and
sustain the improved education effort already being started by the Schools First Initiative.
This package of policy reforms is called the Basic Education Sector Reform Agenda (BESRA).
This document summarizes the contents of this agenda.

Overall objectives of BESRA

The policy actions comprising the BESRA seek to create a basic education sector that is
capable of attaining the country’s Education for All Objectives by the year 2015. In summary,
these objectives are:

1. Universal Adult Functional Literacy: All persons beyond school-age, regardless of their

levels of schooling should acquire the essential competence to be considered functionally
literate in their native tongue, in Filipino or in English.
2. Universal School Participation and Elimination of Drop-outs and Repetition in First
Three Grades: All children aged six should enter school ready to learn and prepared to
achieve the required competencies from Grade 1 to 3 instruction.
3. Universal Completion of the Full Cycle of Basic Education Schooling with
Satisfactory Achievement Levels by All At Every Grade or Year: All children aged six to
eleven should be on track to completing elementary schooling with satisfactory
achievement levels at every grade, and all children aged twelve to fifteen should be on track
to completing secondary schooling with similarly satisfactory achievement levels at every
year.
4. Total Community Commitment to Attainment of Basic Education Competencies for
All: Every community should mobilize all its social, political, cultural and economic resources
and capabilities to support the universal attainment of basic education competencies in
Filipino and English.
In order for the basic education sector to achieve the above listed desired educational
outcomes for all Filipinos, the BESRA focuses on specific policy actions within five key
reform thrusts (KRT) as follows:

 KRT 1: Get all schools to continuously improve

 KRT 2: Enable teachers to further enhance their contribution to learning outcomes
 KRT 3: Increase social support to attainment of desired learning outcomes
 KRT 4: Improve impact on outcomes from complementary early childhood education,
alternative learning systems and private sector participation
 KRT 5: Change institutional culture of DepED to better support these key reform
thrusts
In short, the five key reform thrusts of BESRA are on: schools, teachers, social support to
learning, complementary interventions, and DepED’s institutional culture.

Preparation of BESRA Policy Proposals

In the next ten months from August 2005 to May 2006, various task teams organized by
DepED, with members drawn from various stakeholder groups and consultants engaged to
assist them, are preparing the specific proposals for each policy action identified and
described in this document. Most of the proposals are matters within the function, authority
and power of DepED management to decide in accordance with existing laws; others
require action by other government offices including the Office of the President; yet others
may require new or amended legislation. As each of the policy proposals is detailed and
specified, the draft official documents shall be reviewed and decided by DepED
management. Those proposals that are within the administrative and legal authority of
DepED will be adopted as appropriate; those that require action by other government
authorities shall be duly endorsed for their appropriate action; those that require legislation
will be submitted for consideration of Congress.

The preparation of each policy proposal included in the BESRA shall follow the careful,
deliberate, research-based, participatory and interactive process that marked the manner of
preparing the whole BESRA itself. Actual data, available facts and scientific research shall
inform the policy preparation process. Consultations, public hearings, peer reviews,
solicitations of positions papers, among other means of securing contributions from all
concerned and interested, shall be required prior to the formulation of any draft policy
proposal. The membership of the task teams shall seek to represent those closest to the
issues in order to assure that their concerns are incorporated in the very process of
formulating policy proposals. The discussions and deliberations undertaken in the course of
formulating all policy proposals shall be fully and adequately documented.

As each policy proposal is submitted by the various task teams to DepED management, a
routine process of public announcement and dissemination of the recommended draft
proposal shall provide the general public with adequate opportunity to comment on each
proposal prior to its final adoption.

Key Reform Thrust 1: School-level stakeholders improve their own

schools continuously.

Why this reform thrust is important: Schools are the community-based social institutions
that provide the most widely available formally organized instruction, which is expected to
enable students to learn and thereby attain their desired educational outcomes. If schools
are to deliver better outcomes in a sustainable manner, the key stakeholders, within the
school and the community served by the school, must be enabled and empowered to
manage their school-level affairs so that they deliberately and continuously improve the link
between their own efforts and their collectively desired educational outcomes. The central
insight of this reform thrust is that people most actively and directly involved in and
affected by the schools’ operations are the best people to improve the quality of these
schools.

Progress in this key reform thrust will be indicated by:

1. Increased percentages of all public schools that have current school improvement plans
(SIP) prepared, implemented and monitored through a participatory process led by school
heads working with organized school governing councils (SGC).
2. Increased percentages of public schools with SIP’s prepared, implemented and monitored
thru a participatory process that meet specific quality dimensions included in an SIP
assessment instrument. (These quality dimensions include: linkage of SIP activities with
improved learning outcomes; depth or level of community participation; priority given to
meeting teachers’ needs for better teaching practice; support given to classroom
improvement; and consistency with school’s long-term development plans).

3. Increased levels of resources managed and controlled at the school level.

4. Improved levels of school-wide student performance based on results of national

standardized tests.

Main policy actions identified to generate progress in this key reform thrust:

The following three policy actions are all within the legal mandate of Chapter 1- Governance
of Basic Education, Section E. School level of Republic Act No. 9155, Governance of Basic
Education Act of 2001.

1.1 A head for every school: Ensure that every school or cluster of schools is led by a school
head who is selected, prepared, supported, monitored and made accountable for organizing
and leading an institutionalized school improvement process at the school/community level.

1.2 A school/community process of continuous school improvement: Institutionalize an

efficient, participatory, and continuous school improvement process in every school. Enable
every school to routinely prepare a school improvement plan (SIP), implement it, monitor
and report its implementation, and evaluate its results in terms of school-wide attainment of
desired earning outcomes. Enable every school and its community to establish and maintain
functional and empowered School Governing Councils supporting the operational
leadership of the school head in the school improvement process. Provide schools with
means to adopt mechanisms and practices for school-level accountability to parents,
community, LGU’s, and the DepED hierarchy, including use of School Profiles, School Report
Cards and similar modes of reporting measurements of school-wide educational outcomes
(participation, completion and achievement). Expand schools’ use of student tracking
systems to, among others, follow-up students who are frequently absent, encountering
difficulties and/or who are lagging behind. Establish and sustain school/community level
measures for enhancing basic health and nutrition conditions of students and school staff,
which should be included as an important part of the SIP and a key responsibility of the
SGC.
1.3 A school-based resource management framework: Create a simple and practical school-
based framework for comprehensive management of all resources available to schools (e.g.,
those coming from the GAA, local government funds, community contributions and other
sources), for the attainment of the school’s mission, particularly desired learning outcomes.
Evolve an administrative and operational environment, including installation of basic
financial management and resource accounting systems appropriate to all types and sizes of
schools, that enable schools together with their communities, to become self-governing (i.e.,
to autonomously decide and act on matters related to education delivery at the school
level).
The fourth policy action below will be pursued on the basis of the legal mandate of
Department of Education officials and employees to serve as cochairperson and members of
local school boards of local governments according to Book 1, Title 4 – Local School Boards,
Sections 98 to 101, of Republic Act No. 7160, Local Government Code of 1991.

1.4 A schools-driven DepED representation in Local School Boards of LGU’s: Enable school
heads and school governing councils to monitor and influence LGU spending for basic
education, particularly in relation to the use of SEF collections.

Key Reform Thrust 2: Teachers raise the prevailing standards of their

profession to meet demands for better learning outcomes.

Why this reform thrust is important: Classroom performance of teachers is a critical factor
behind learning outcomes attained by students of schools. A critical part of school
improvement thus involves improvement of teacher performance in classrooms. Schools
must be provided with more and better teachers capable of improving their capacity to
teach well classes of reasonable size. Furthermore, since most education managers start out
as teachers, improving the competence of teachers in the service will also likely improve the
quality of future education managers. A central insight of this reform thrust is that teachers
themselves have the greatest stake and most direct influence in raising the prevailing
standards governing the practice of their profession in order to meet social demands for
better learning outcomes.

Progress in this key reform thrust will be indicated by:

1. Increased percentages of all DepED divisions using competency-based standards for
assessing teacher performance, determining teacher development needs and priorities,
selecting new teachers for hiring and promoting teachers.

2. Increased percentages of all new teachers (national and local payrolls) deployed in
schools at each DepED division that were selected and hired based on teacher competency
standards of the division.
3. Frequency distributions of class sizes (schools, divisions, regions and national) clustered
more closely around the average.

4. Increased percentages of all classes requiring assignment of specially trained teachers

served by teachers with correct preparation and qualifications (e.g., high school science
classes handled by teachers with correct science majors, multigrade classes handled by
teachers with multigrade training, and alternative learning programs handled by mobile
teachers with required training).

Main policy actions identified to generate progress in this key reform thrust:

The first five policy actions that follow can all be undertaken by DepED as part of the
implementation of Chapter 1 – Governance of Basic Education of Republic Act No. 9155,
Governance of Basic Education Act.

2.1 A framework for competency-based standards for teachers: Adopt a national framework
using teacher competencies as the basis of standards for assessing new teachers’ readiness
for hiring and deployment, incumbent teachers’ current performance, and teachers’ priority
needs for professional development. Teacher competencies cover such areas as language
proficiency, subject matter mastery, pedagogical and classroom management skills, and
commitment to profession and community, among others, which define various dimensions
of teacher capability known to be important for improved learning outcomes.

2.2 A rolling 5-year projection of new teacher hires: Prepare a rolling 5-year projected
staffing pattern for all schools that identifies expected staffing requirements and estimates
of numbers of future hires for different types of positions in different divisions. Maintain a
rolling 5-year series of annual forecasts of future teacher demand at the national, regional
and divisional levels, that can be used as basis for announced changes in future hiring
standards that will require prior responses by pre-service teacher education programs and
the professional licensing of teachers.

2.3 Progressive upgrades in division level teacher hiring practices: Enable all divisions to
progressively improve the quality of teachers they hire based on national competency
standards adapted to local conditions. Set up rolling 5-year timetables for each division to
program a year-by-year raising of minimum standards for hiring future teachers. At all
divisions, develop new rules, procedures, and instruments governing hiring, together with
appropriate staff who are capable of scientifically assessing teacher applicants in terms of
their probable performance in actual conditions of classroom practice against prevailing
performance standards.
2.4 Regional, divisional and school level targets for distribution of class sizes: Improve the
deployment of available numbers of nationally paid teachers in order to fairly distribute the
instructional workloads among classes and schools. Set up and monitor compliance with
rolling 5-year targets for improvements in class size distribution for regions, divisions and
schools. In order to attain each year’s targets, regions, divisions and schools would be
authorized to use a variety of instruments to include: allocation of new teacher items; re-
deployment of vacated items; encouragement of voluntary teacher transfers; and selective
control of new enrollment in over-crowded schools in favor of less crowded schools nearby.

2.5 Division and school focus on improving teaching practice in schools: Encourage each
division to adapt the national framework for competency-based standards for teachers to
the specific conditions and needs of the schools of the division. Use the division-specific
teacher competency framework (and develop division and district staff capable of providing
technical support on its use to schools) as the basis for each school’s regular assessment of
incumbent teachers’ performance and determination of their priority development needs,
linked to identified gaps and opportunities in student learning outcomes. Ensure that the
process of SIP preparation, implementation and monitoring features the regular practice of
school heads leading teachers in using student assessment data and classroom observations
to collectively identify strengths and weaknesses in teacher performance, corresponding
gaps in teacher competencies, and appropriate priorities in use of school-based resources
to improve teaching and learning. Engage the SGC to increase the visibility, importance and
commitment of schools/communities for teachers and students to attain high levels of
proficiency in English, Science and Math. Expand availability to schools of cost-effective
options for meeting teachers’ priority needs for training and professional development that
span a range of options, among others, self-learning and tutorials, school-based or division-
based INSET, regional/central training, academic training in tertiary institutions, distance
learning programs and computer-based courses, short courses by private and other
providers.

The next two policy actions involve negotiated agreements with organizations and agencies
over which DepED does not have any administrative authority. Memoranda of agreement
will need to be entered between DepED and LGU’s on the competency-based standards
governing the hiring of locally paid teachers. Similar memoranda of agreements may also
have to be negotiated with teacher education institutions, state colleges and universities
and the Professional Regulation Commission. The Education Secretary’s policy oversight
function of the Commission on Higher Education as mandated by

Executive Order No. 434 may also be a source of administrative authority to pursue
agreements with teacher education institutions and state colleges and universities.
2.6 All other sources of teacher hires to adopt division hiring practices: Negotiate with local
governments, local school boards, PTCA’s and all other sources of local teacher hires
supplementing the nationally provided positions to convince them to agree that locally
hired teachers shall all be subject to the same procedures and standards adopted by the
division for nationally hired teachers.

2.7 Pre-service teacher education and licensing to support future higher hiring standards:
DepED’s 5-year annual projection of future teacher hires can be used as an early signal to
teacher education institutions and the professional teacher licensing system about what
teacher competencies will be valued by the public schools in the coming years. Using these
future forecasts, a synchronized set of corresponding year-by-year reforms in policies for
pre-service and licensure can be developed and negotiated that will provide sufficient lead
time for meeting the higher standards of future teacher hiring.

 All TEI’s: More competitive entry and admission to teacher education programs;
implementation of the new pre-service teacher education curriculum which includes
extended exposure of student teachers to actual instruction under master teachers.
 All SUC’s: State-assisted interventions to increase future supply of good teachers in
English, Math and Science.
 PRC: Review and improvement of teacher licensure process to enhance its capacity to
certify only teachers with essential capabilities to teach well.
The last policy action below will definitely require new legislation or an amendment to
existing ones. The thrust of the policy action will be to assemble data and analysis that can
support the formulation of draft legislation.

2.8 New legislation governing teacher (and non-teaching staff) compensation, benefits and
conditions of employment: Develop a long-term strategy for improving teacher’s
compensation and benefits to attract better students into the teaching profession and keep
the best teachers in the service, either in classrooms or in administrative positions. Provide
incentives for hard-to-staff teaching positions. Explore public-private partnerships as a
source for supporting teacher compensation, benefits and incentives.

Adopt a longer probationary period (two to three years) for new teacher hires linked to a
professionally mentored induction program with peer appraisals and assessments. Consider
changes in rules on teacher deployment to include routine changes in grade level and
school assignment of teachers to insure that teachers master the span of elementary or
secondary curriculum.
Key Reform Thrust 3: Influential social institutions and key social
processes are engaged by DepED to support national scale attainment of
desired learning outcomes.

Why this reform thrust is important: For schools and teachers, and the whole DepED
organization, to perform better, the basic education sector needs to secure sustained strong
support for resources necessary for good instruction, which in turn, depends on parents’
and students’ recognizing that good instruction is vital to attaining their most valued
personal, family, community and national aspirations. In order for parents and students to
recognize the true and full value of securing desired learning from good schools, however,
they need to observe the whole society reinforcing, emphasizing and enriching the same
learning. One can hardly expect parents and students to support good schools when they
do not see the rest of society reminding them of the value and desirability of the learning
that good schools realize. The central insight of this reform thrust is that ordinary people
from different spheres of society (i.e., persons not specifically trained or skilled in
professional education) not only can enhance the learning that students derive from
schooling, but also strengthen society’s support for those teachers, schools and educators
doing the best job in making such learning possible for all.

Progress in this key reform thrust will be indicated by:

1. Increases in the levels of educators’ satisfaction with the quality of instruction that schools
deliver.

2. Increases in the levels of parents’ and children’s satisfaction with the quality of education
they obtain.

3. Increases in the levels of communities’ satisfaction with the performance of schools

serving them.

4. Improvements in national indicators of learning outcomes such as participation and

completion rates, achievement rates and national sample scores in internationally
comparable tests

Main policy actions identified to generate progress in this key reform thrust:

The first three policy actions below are in accordance with Chapter 1 -Governance of Basic
Education, Section 7- Powers, Duties and Functions, Part A. National level of Republic Act
No. 9155, Governance of Basic Education Act of 2001. These three actions involve the
adoption multi-sectoral national strategies in support of learning in three major areas of
knowledge of common interest to all Filipinos, namely, learning in English, in Filipino and in
Math and Science.

Each of these national strategies would encompass the basic education curriculum and
instruction in formal schooling, as well as the potential learning support provided by media,
community, home and workplace, alternative learning options, civil society initiatives and all
other social mechanisms that enhance learning. Each strategy shall also include
consideration of alternative high schools e.g., science and technology schools, culture and
arts schools, open high schools, distance education, among others. And each strategy shall
also consider the preparation and education of teachers and other types of mentors and
guides best able to facilitate the desired learning in each area of knowledge.

All three strategies would be articulated for children reached by mainstream public schools,
as well as for population segments requiring special education, for the differently-abled
persons, for indigenous peoples, for Muslim Filipinos through madrasah education. Part of
the strategies would be the streamlining of the curriculum, and the possible extension of the
basic education cycle. The strategies will be formulated through consultations, researches,
debates, etc. Once adopted, these strategies would include information campaigns to
increase popular awareness and understanding about the current trends in educational
outcomes in these areas of knowledge, and the current progress in implementing reforms
necessary to sustain improvements in desired learning outcomes.

3.1 A national strategy in support of learning in English language: Engage leaders,

influentials, experts, groups and institutions with an interest in Filipinos learning in the
English language. Articulate a consensus on the role and importance of Filipinos learning in
English. Identify resources, capabilities, assets, strengths and advantages available for
Filipino mastery of English language. Propose actions, policies, projects, activities and
initiatives that can accelerate, enhance, enrich and universalize Filipinos learning in English
language. Recommend appropriate directions or priorities for schools, media, professions,
enterprises, government agencies, churches and religions, and other social institutions.

3.2 A national strategy in support of learning in Filipino language: Engage leaders,

influentials, experts, groups and institutions with an interest in Filipinos learning in the
Filipino language. Articulate a consensus on the role and importance of Filipinos learning in
Filipino. Identify resources, capabilities, assets, strengths and advantages available for
Filipino mastery of Filipino language. Propose actions, policies, projects, activities and
initiatives that can accelerate, enhance, enrich and universalize Filipinos learning in Filipino
language. Recommend appropriate directions or priorities for schools, media, professions,
enterprises, government agencies, churches and religions, and other social institutions.
3.3 A national strategy in support of learning Mathematics and Science: Engage leaders,
influentials, experts, groups and institutions with an interest in Filipinos learning Math and
Science. Articulate a consensus on the role and importance of Filipinos learning Math and
Science. Identify resources, capabilities, assets, strengths and advantages available for
Filipino mastery of Math and Science. Propose actions, policies, projects, activities and
initiatives that can accelerate, enhance, enrich and universalize Filipinos learning Math and
Science. Recommend appropriate directions or priorities for schools, media, professions,
enterprises, government agencies, churches and religions, and other social institutions.

The national level of DepED is also authorized, and held accountable and responsible by RA
9155 for “promulgating national educational standards and monitoring and assessing
national learning outcomes”. As part of the national strategies in support of learning, the
policy action described below involves a more detailed specification of the standards and
outcomes which formal basic education schooling should meet.

3.4 A national quality assurance framework for basic education schooling: The existing
Revised Basic Education Curriculum (RBEC) will be further developed into an explicit learning
accountability framework that defines what levels of learning students of schools and
divisions should meet at various stages of the basic education cycle. This framework will be
based on the national curriculum, but will provide leeway for local flexibility and relevance.
To enable schools and divisions to meet expected learning outcomes, the framework should
also include adequate support to instruction through sufficient quantity and better quality
textbooks across all subjects, essential teachers’ guides and manuals (especially for all
newly-hired teachers) and other instructional materials, preferably locally developed. The
framework will thus encompass standards for inputs and processes linked to desired
learning outcomes. This QA framework defines the minimum standards all schools should
meet and the key measures to be taken to assure attainment of these standards. It will
include a set of minimum national standards for capabilities, structures, processes and
output based on a template for school improvement processes from planning to
implementation to monitoring and evaluation. Finally, the QA framework shall include a
system of nationally standardized student assessments, outcomes measurement and
reporting of basic school statistics that together will provide the basic data about directions,
levels and trends of progress in the ongoing educational reforms.

When the national strategies in support of learning in the three key areas have emerged,
and the national quality assurance framework for basic education schooling has been
drafted, DepED will then consider institutionalizing the multi-sectoral participation in
national-level governance of basic education in its broadest sense to include not just formal
schooling but also all other sources of learning in society. Section 5 of RA 9155 talks about
communication channels that “facilitate flow of information and expand linkages with other
government agencies, local government units and nongovernment organizations for
effective governance”. The policy action below is a step in such direction.

3.5 An institutionalized national forum for multi-sectoral coordination in support of basic

education outcomes: Establish a national governing council on basic education standards
that can serve as the institutional steward and champion of the implementation of the
national strategies in support of learning as well as the national quality assurance
framework for basic education schooling. This council can help DepED define, articulate and
advocate the concept of quality Filipino basic education as one that forms a desired type of
Filipino with certain distinct identities and core ethical values, apart from acquiring certain
valued competencies. The national council can also enable local communities to understand
and internalize this concept of quality Filipino education (an “educated Filipino” as one of
“being” not just of “doing” or “knowing”) so that parents can assess the quality of schools
from the kind of students they form.

This last policy action focuses on the preparation and training of basic education managers,
which is a task implied by the many mandates and functions of DepED.

3.6 A program and institution for forming basic education managers: Establish a training
and development institution for higher-level education managers, such as assistant
superintendents, superintendents, assistant directors and directors, which is linked to the
principals and school heads institute. This institution should dovetail to the school heads
institute.

Key Reform Thrust 4: Providers of early childhood care and development,

alternative learning services, and private sector increase their respective
complementary contributions to national basic education outcomes.

Why this reform thrust is important: Even good public schools with good teachers will
require the assistance and contribution of others in attaining the nation’s desired learning
outcomes. Children entering school at Grade 1 need to be made ready for school through
early childhood education from their birth onward. Adult illiterates, out-of-school youth and
other learners not in school need to secure basic education competencies through
alternative learning options. The private sector also needs to supplement the effort of public
schools by serving families who opt to send their children to private schools and by offering
private sector solutions to public education. These three segments of most Filipino
communities – early childhood education, alternative learning providers and private sector –
require a policy environment that strengthens collaboration among service providers within
their localities and maximizes their respective contributions to the nation’s learning
objectives. The central insight of this reform thrust is that effective convergence of early
childhood education, alternative learning, private sector and public schools in localities will
maximize learning impact of each one.

Progress in this key reform thrust will be indicated by:

1. Increased percentages of all Grade 1 entrants who meet the standards for school
readiness

2. Increased percentages of ALS clients completing courses in basic and functional literacy

3. Increased percentages of takers of accreditation and equivalency tests in elementary and

secondary levels pass

4. Percentage of total school enrollment served by private schools reach the target set by
national policy

Main policy actions identified to generate progress in this key reform thrust:

4.1 Local delivery models for cost-effective early childhood education: Develop new or scale
up existing locality-based (municipal, city or province) ECE delivery models that feature,
among others: assessments of readiness for school of all Grade 1 entrants; schools giving
feedback to parents about the readiness of their children for school; schools giving
feedback to local governments and community leaders about groups of Grade 1 entrants
not ready for school; expansion of local ECE programs that demonstrate effectiveness in
getting children ready for school; improvement of other programs to increase their
effectiveness; adoption of standards known to enhance effectiveness of ECE programs; and
LGU coordination of local ECE efforts at home, in communities, at day care and in pre-
schools by government, non-government and private sectors.

4.2 Enhanced and accelerated ALS coverage: Review existing mandate of Literacy
Coordination Council for possible revision to cover governance of alternative learning
system, including adoption of policies and standards for alternative learning services by
national government agencies, local governments, non-government organizations and the
private sector. Develop or scale up locality-based (municipal, city or province) ALS delivery
models. Develop capacity of service providers (public and private) to identify potential ALS
learners in the areas where they operate thru referral and drop-out tracking system, and
integrate literacy training in their programs of assistance reaching illiterate OSY and adults,
and other learners. Establish structure and support mechanism of convergence at various
levels.
4.3 A private sector strategy for basic education: Identify potential of various roles of private
sector in basic education: private schools; private management of public schools; private
sector participation in public schools governance; private enterprises performing public
education functions as contractors or suppliers; private financial contributions to public
education. Determine the optimum level of private sector in these various roles. Ensure
private sector participation to meet this optimum level. Expand private sector participation
in education through reforms in the Educational Service Contracting scheme such as
expansion of coverage through all areas of basic education and improved targeting where
public sector capacity constraints are matched by available private sector capacity. Consider
also possible private management of public schools and private sector services to public
schools or school clusters (for example, INSET, supervision and assessment).

Key Reform Thrust 5: DepED changes its own institutional culture

towards greater responsiveness to the key reform thrusts of BESRA.

Why this reform thrust is important: The first four key reform thrusts would change the
policy environment of schools, teachers, social support for learning, providers of early
childhood education and alternative learning services, and private sector involvement in
basic education. The key institutional player behind the formulation, adoption and
implementation of these policies, now and over the long-term, is the Department of
Education, particularly its national, regional and divisional offices. If these reforms are to
advance, take root, blossom and bear fruit, the institutional culture of DepED will need to
change to become more hospitable to these reforms. In particular, DepED will need to move
out of its worst centralized, bureaucratized, mechanistic and simplistic mindsets and habits if
it hopes to attain populationwide higher level learning outcomes. For reforms to occur at
scale and be sustained in the long-term, DepED’s organizational culture, financial systems,
technological capabilities and accountability environment have to adjust to the demands of
these reforms. The central insight of this reform thrust is that the culture of the institution
behind reform policies must change if the policies were to have a chance of eventually
succeeding.

Progress in this key reform thrust will be indicated by:

1. High levels of deep understanding among incumbent DepED managers at central,

regional and divisional offices of DepED’s strategy for culture change and its integration
into the modernization plans of DepED offices.

2. A new national budget framework established featuring multi-year, goal-based funding

levels with equitable allocations to localities linked to LGU contributions and allocations to
schools specified according to a transparent formula.
3. Increased levels of favorable public perceptions of honesty, integrity and professional
excellence of DepED offices

4. ICT strategy adopted and implemented according to targets

Main policy actions identified to generate progress in this key reform thrust:

5.1 A strategy for institutional culture change integrated into organizational modernization
plans for central, regional and divisional offices: Develop a strategy for changing the
institutional culture of DepED towards becoming more supportive of the directions of the
reforms comprising BESRA. Implement the culture change strategy in the improvement of
the operational capacity of central DepED through the modernization of its staff and
facilities, as well as through increasing the transparency, accountability and integrity of its
units, based on the newly rationalized structure and operations. Implement the culture
change strategy in the Improvement of the operational capacity of 17 DepED regional
offices through modernization of staff and facilities, as well as through increasing
transparency, accountability and integrity of its units, based on development and
formulation of specific regional basic education support plans. Implement the culture
change strategy in the improvement of the operational capacity of 184 DepED division
offices through modernization of staff and facilities as well as through increasing
transparency, accountability and integrity of its units, based on development and
formulation of specific local basic education plans.

5.2 A new national budget framework for basic education: Seek approval for a new national
budget format for basic education that is based on DBCC-approved multi-year baseline
allocations sufficient to meet the basic resource needs of schools, providing sub-allocations
to localities that is linked to specific levels of lGu contributions, specifying school-level
suballocations that serve as the basis of school-based budgets. Increase annual budget
outlays to meet enrollment and cost increases, eliminate resource gaps and attain target
goals. Identify sources of potential savings in the existing budget for possible re-allocation
to finance policy reform initiatives. Increase level and effectiveness of LGU spending for
basic education at school and locality levels through direct mandates and costsharing
schemes. Integrate all other international and local project initiatives in basic education
within the overall basic education reform and operations framework. Integrate performance
and internal audit mechanisms in the routine functions of the public schools system. Identify
measures to increase revenues from education sector assets and administrative rules to
enable DepED to use these revenues to finance policy reform initiatives, including teachers’
compensation and benefits.

5.3 An ICT strategy for basic education: Develop and adopt a strategy for cost-effective use
of ICT in basic education (for classroom instruction and teachers’ training in schools, as well
as for use by DepED offices). Expand and mainstream those already tested, cost-saving
educational technologies as tried out in past programs and projects