QuestionsQuestions (DECS ORDER NO. 93, S. 1992)
It aims to encourage and assist education institutions to improve standards beyond minimum recognition requirements, and to promote voluntary, non-governmental accreditation systems that support DECS regulatory functions while protecting the integrity of accreditation.
DECS authorizes FAAP as the umbrella agency that certifies—pursuant to FAAP standards—the accredited status of programs and thus qualifies accredited programs for progressive deregulated status and other government benefits.
It pertains only to secondary and four-year tertiary level programs.
Benefits may be extended to comparable secondary programs if at least three (3) tertiary basic programs have Level II accreditation status (as long as the tertiary accreditation status remains current), or if there is proven outstanding NCEE performance for not more than five (5) years.
Recognition by DECS of accrediting agencies is an eligibility requirement solely for granting deregulated status and other government benefits; accredited institutions/programs must be affiliated with duly recognized accrediting agencies under FAAP.
No. Recognition must not diminish or run counter to the private and voluntary character of accrediting agencies.
DECS may formulate additional guidelines with FAAP to ensure commonality in processes and standards among accrediting agencies and avoid the proliferation of accrediting agencies seeking DECS recognition.
It must (1) be a non-governmental body duly incorporated as a special corporation under Title III of the Corporation Code; (2) demonstrate independence and competence to conduct accreditation; (3) conform its policies/criteria/standards/procedures to generally accepted accrediting principles set by FAAP; (4) publicly disclose accrediting scope, criteria, procedures, and qualifications of governing/technical bodies; and (5) submit its minimum academic standards endorsed by FAAP to DECS for review to ensure they exceed DECS minimum requirements.
Level I is Applicant Status (preliminary survey visit certified by FAAP as capable of acquiring accredited status within one or two years); Level II is Accredited Status (granted at least initial accredited status by FAAP member agencies; 'accredited' here means at least Level II); Level III is Reaccredited Status (reaccredited and meeting additional FAAP criteria/guidelines).
No special benefits are provided for Level I.
Administrative deregulation including authority to graduate students from accredited secondary and tertiary programs without prior DECS approval and without need for special orders, and authority to grant overload in meritorious cases; curricular autonomy to revise curricula without DECS approval if minimum DECS requirements/guidelines are complied with and the revised curriculum is submitted to DECS (subject to professional regulatory boards’ specific subject requirements).
Full administrative deregulation with reports limited essentially to student promotion reports and lists of graduates; curricular deregulation including authority to offer new degree courses allied to existing Level III courses without prior DECS approval and without need for permit/recognition by DECS.
FAAP certifies and submits the list of reaccredited institutions/programs to DECS, which then issues certificates of deregulated status level to the schools.
Yes. They may stipulate their own minimum standards higher than the common minimum and may provide additional accreditation levels beyond Level III, and may also cover other curricular levels (e.g., elementary and graduate) for accreditation purposes.
If the educational institution has at least three (3) tertiary-level programs with Level II accreditation, other tertiary undergraduate programs without existing accreditation programs may be entitled to equivalent level accreditation benefits.
It takes effect at the start of school year 1993–1994, meaning schools’ compliance and qualification under its framework apply from that school year.
No. Benefits previously granted to accredited programs and still current at the time of the Order shall continue to be maintained, without prejudice to benefits being subsequently extended to non-accredited institutions.