I.

RATIONALE
The Department of Education (DepEd) believes that shared responsibility of
school heads, teachers, parents, learners, local Government Units (LGUs), and the
community at large is a core enabler in providing accessible and quality basic
education in a safe, healthy, and nurturing learning environment. With School-
Based (SBM) as the face of shared governance in schools, it embodies a
participative approach in decision-making through decentralization, while
promoting the rights and well-being of learners in support of the rights-based
education (RBE) approach.

RBE creates and supports a conducive learning environment that promotes

respect and well-being, where children and learners can exercise their rights
and responsibilities in the context of basic education and actively engage
and participate in matters concerning them.
Institutionalizing SBM while embracing RBE approach builds and
nurtures an effective school that continuously improves, respects, protects,
fulfills, and promotes the rights of the learners.
II. POLICY STATEMENT

All public Elementary and secondary schools shall establish School

Governance Councils, which shall serve as overarching consultative and
coordinating bodies for all committees, associations, and organizations ln
their respective schools. The SGC shall form part of the school structure as
an embodiment of the principle of shared governance, mandated under
Republic Act No. 9155.
Furthermore, these guidelines aim to guide the schools in establishing
functional SGCs that shall synergize the work and effort of all school
committees/ associations/ organizations through the harmonization of
programs, projects, and activities relevant to the achievement of priority
improvement areas and continuous improvement of school operations
toward school electiveness contributory to the realization of the rights of the
child and learner in the basic education context and betterment of learning
outcomes.
III. GUIDELINES AND PROCEDURES

General Purpose of the School Governance Council

The SGC shall function as a structure for shared governance and a
feedback mechanism at the school level. However, the SGC shal1 not
manage the school and shall not have a separate and distinct juridical
personality apart from the school.
The SGC shall not replace the Parents Teacher Association (PTA),
Supreme Pupil/Student Government, School Planning Team (SPT), Alumni
Association, Child Protection Committee (CPC), and other existing school
committees/associations/organizations. In fact, the SGC shall strengthen
the school by synergizing the work of PTA, Supreme Pupil/ Student
Government, SPT, and Alumni Association, CPC with the efforts of other
committees/associations/organizations in the school through shared
governance, shared commitment, and shared accountability.
As a structure for shared governance, the SGC shall be an avenue
where the democratic process of consultation with the school’s internal and
external stakeholders in the decision-making will be observed. As a feedback
mechanism, the SGC sha1I be a feedback link between the school
stakeholders (learners, parents, and other school stakeholders) and school
management (school head and personnel) on school performance and
service quality.

A. Function of the SGC as a Structure of Shared Governance

The SGC Shall:
1. serve as a collective and consultative body for school plans,
programs, activities, and strategic directions;

2. . serve as the overall coordinating body that will synergize,

harmonize, and put together the work of the different school
committees, including but not limited to the SPT, School Disaster
Risk Reduction Management (DRRM) Committee, Child Protection
Committee (CPC), Supreme Pupil Government / Supreme Student
Government, Faculty C1ub, Non-teaching Association, PTA, Alumni
Associations, DepEd-recognized teacher organizations, and
National Employees Union at school level, among others; and

3. serve as a platform to cultivate the spirit of bayanihan among

stakeholders to support the school and encourage active
participation of the stakeholders in the implementation of DepEd
policies and programs, while promoting equal opportunity for all
regardless of age, gender, disability, marital status, ethnicity, and
religious beliefs.

B. Functions of the SGC as a Feedback Mechanism

The SGC shall:
1. help the school improve and sustain its feedback system by
strengthening practices that promote stakeholders' participation;

2. assist the school in ensuring transparency in its operations and

performance, specifically school programs and resources
management; and
3. recommend ways of improving the quality of basic education services
and school performance to the school management and school
planning team, and its means of respecting, protecting, fulfilling, and
promoting children's rights in the education context.

Specific Functions of the School Governance Council

Given the dual purpose, the SGC shall:

1. participate actively in the formulation and implementation of the SIP

and other DepEd programs, projects, and activities;
2. communicate to the SPT and project teams the learners' and
stakeholders' feedback and satisfaction on the physical and financial
accomplishment of the SIP and Annual Implementation Plans (AIP)
and provide recommendations on improving efficiency and quality of
the school services;
3. recommend to the school, as well as to the LGU through the Local
School Board (LSB) to strengthen support of and relationship with the
LGU, relevant local school programs and projects consistent with
national policies or needs-based, data-driven, gender-responsive and
inclusive interventions affecting learners' rights in education and their
welfare;
4. organize meetings, through the School Head, within the school
premises or in such places as may be determined by the co-
chairpersons for safety or other valid reasons and scheduled at a time
convenient for everyone, for purposes of harmonizing proposed and
existing programs, projects, and activities initiated, espoused by
various committees building partnerships and networks with the
Alumni Associations, businesses and industries, donors, retirees,
religious groups, CSOs, NGOs, LGUs, PTAs, individual community
members, and other external stakeholders via face-to-face or online/
virtual platforms;
5. submit SGC semi-annual accomplishment report including an action
plan, through and with the approval of the School Head, to Schools
Division Superintendent (SDS) and LGUs and integrate it in the SRC;

6. support the dissemination of pertinent school data and information

following a sex-disaggregated data using the School Report Card,
 Transparency Board, WASH In Schools (WinS) Three Star Approach
Report, Child-Friendly School System, school-based child protection
checklist, reports on learner-led school watching and hazard mapping
and on comprehensive school safety, or other communication tools to
inform stakeholders;

7. conduct orientation and advocacy activities on the va1ue and benefits

of education, complementary roles of parents, community, industry
and LGUs in education, and children's rights in education and
welfare;
8. attend pertinent school meetings and assemblies in which all sectors
are properly represented;
9. prepare a report on any irregularities or violations of these
implementing guidelines, and should be filed to the proper disciplining
authority;
10. attend and conduct school-level training to help raise awareness
of its role for the effective oversight of school planning and resource
use;
11. work collaboratively with Child Rights in Education Desk
(CREDe), Child Protection Unit (CPU), and other similar DepEd
organizations to devise relevant projects, programs, and interventions
in upholding the rights of the child in and through the Department;
12. work collaboratively with CPC to come-up with relevant projects,
programs, and interventions in support of its function to ensure that
in all decisions and actions involving children, the paramount
consideration is the best interest of the child, that the views and
opinions of children are heard and seriously considered, and that no
child is left behind or discriminated against by reason of age, gender,
socio-economic background, ethnicity, culture, religion, and disability;
and
13. work collaboratively with the SPT to devise relevant programs,
projects, and initiatives in fulfilling its role of developing and
implementing SIP and AIP.
 The SGC Structure
The basic organizational structure of SGC is composed of the
Designated Co-chairperson, Elected Co-chairperson, Secretary, and Council
Members.

The Designated Co-Chairperson shall be a school representative

chosen by the School Head, while the Elected Co-Chairperson sha1l be
chosen from the external stakeholders within the council through voting.
COMPOSITION OF SGC MEMBERS
There shall be four (4) ex-officio members of the SGC. These ex-officio
members shall be composed of the following internal and external school
stakeholders: designated Co-Chairperson and representatives from the
student government, PTA, and faculty club or its equivalent. The School
Head shall designate a school representative, who exhibits the leadership
competencies reflected in Domain 6. Community Linkages and Professional
Engagement of the Philippine Professional Standards for Teachers (DepEd
Order 42 s. 2O17), to assume the position of Co-Chairperson. Each of the
school organizations / associations / committees shall appoint a
representative, who may not necessarily be the incumbent president or
chairperson of their respective school committee / association/organization
to be the initial council members of the SGC.
In consideration of the varying needs and contexts of schools, the four
(4) ex-officio members shall determine the total number of SGC members
anywhere from seven (7) to fifteen (15) depending on the school typology.
Upon determining the total number of SGC members, the four (4) ex-officio
members, through a deliberative and consensus process, shall then select
the council members who will complete the composition of the SGC.
Additional members may be allowed should the SGC find it necessar5r
based on the context of the school. The additional members shall be decided
upon by the SGC collectively. These members shall be composed of
heads/presidents/ assigned representatives from other school
committees/associations/organizations, including school-based Alternative t
earning System (ALS) teachers and learners, reputable members of the
community, and representatives of community organizations duly
recognized by government authorities, such as but not limited to the
following: Alumni Association, Education Committee of the Barangay, Non-
Government Organizations, Religious Organizations, etc. For schools located
in ancestral domains and/or with learners belonging to Indigenous Cultural
Communities (ICCs), a community representative duly chosen by the ICC's
customary governance structure or chosen through the customary way of
determining appropriate cultural representation shall have a slot as a
council member.
Moreover, the prospective council members must be trustworthy,
willing, or have a sincere desire to become members of the SGC, regardless
of position, and driven to support the school and its endeavors toward
improving learning outcomes and upholding the rights of the child and
learner in the basic education context, by working together with other
school internal and external stakeholders. The School Head shall ensure
that all school committees / organizations / associations and the external
stakeholders are represented in the SGC and the selection process of the
council members is gender-responsive, non-discriminatory, and inclusive.
Any form of prejudice and bias in selecting additional SGC members based
on race, co1or, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or
expression, age, disability, marital status, cit2enship, national and ethnical
origin, or any other characteristic protected by law shall not be tolerated.
The School Head shall not be authorized to represent any of the
school committees/associations/organizations in the SGC regardless of the
school size. In the case of small schools, the authority of multiple
representations of school committees/ associations/organizations in the
SGC shall only be given to the teachers and other council members.
The SGC is encouraged to expand its membership to strengthen the
partnership between the schools and their respective stakeholders and to
value the voice of the latter in the determination and recommendation of
strategies to make their schools more effective. However, this shall only be
considered once the seven (7) to 15 SGC membership is complete.
In the case of expanded membership, the SGC shall have two types of
council members: voting and non-voting council members. The voting
council members shall be composed of the seven (7) to fifteen (15), including
the four (4) ex-officio members, selected representatives of the school's
internal and external committees / organizations / associations. The non-
voting council members shall be composed of the (a) former SGC members
who wish to extend their membership and have active membership status in
the committees / organizations / associations they previously represented in
the council, and the (b) additional council members who are collectively
selected by the incumbent, voting SGC members.
Following the completion of its membership, the SGC shall elect their
officers (co-chairperson and secretary) from its voting council members. In
the conduct of the elections, the Designated Co-Chairperson shall be
excluded from the nominations. All voting council members shall exercise
their right to vote.