QuestionsQuestions (DECS ORDER NO. 67 S. 1992)
It is anchored on Republic Act No. 6728, which declares the State policy to promote and make quality education accessible to Filipino citizens, recognizing the complementary roles of public and private schools. DECS Order No. 67 s. 1992 implements this policy through the ESC and Tuition Fee Supplement programs.
ESC and the TFS for high school students are administered through the Bureau of Secondary Education (BSE) by DECS via DECS Regional Offices (DECSROs). The Order describes the direct administration by BSE-BSE/GASTPE structures, with roles assigned to the State Assistance Council, BSE-GASTPE Unit, Regional Project Committee, and Division Coordinating Committees.
ESC is a contract between government and a private school to accommodate students who cannot be admitted to public schools due to lack of teachers, space, facilities, or similar reasons. The government pays the tuition and other school fees of qualified students up to the ESC ceiling.
ESC payment per student grantee is at the rate prescribed by the school for other students but shall not exceed P1,320.00 per year.
TFS is a subsidy of P290.00 per student enrolled in a private secondary school that charged less than P1,700.00 including subsidy in SY 1991-1992.
SAC provides policy guidance and direction, monitoring, evaluation, and promulgation of rules and regulations of the GASTPE programs (ESC and TFS).
It is composed of a BSE Director IV (Chairman), BSE Director III (Vice-Chairman), a GASTPE Coordinator (Chief, Staff Development Division), and ESC/TFS coordinators and members. Functions include supervising/monitoring participating schools, sending communications to Regional Project Committees through channels, collecting/interpreting ESC/TFS data and making periodic reports, and evaluating/assessing implementation.
The RPC sets up Division Coordinating Committees (DCC), identifies sites with excess enrollment, supervises/monitors implementation in the region, provides data/reports to the BSE-GASTPE Unit, disseminates program information, disburses funds to schools/beneficiaries, and submits certified periodic updates to the BSE-GASTPE Unit.
The DCC identifies overflow students, checks/reviews/processes required documents of participating private schools, monitors/enconfirms enrollment data, prepares and submits statistical data to the RPC, and endorses to the RPC duly certified lists: (1) the TFS list (number of beneficiaries and amount claimed computed at P290 each) and (2) the ESC list (number of grantees by year level and total amount claimed reflecting actual tuition/fees). Both are certified by the Division Finance Officer and the Schools Division Superintendent.
Public high school principals implement early enrollment on a first-come-first-served basis, numbering names until the prescribed limit is reached. The limit is determined by the Regional Director based on public school physical facilities and available teachers.
Students enrolled after the public school quota is filled are overflow/excess students. The public high school principal issues each overflow student an Individual Certification of Excess Enrollment directing them to enroll in a duly recognized private school in the area of residence, under the condition that government pays tuition and other fees actually charged up to a maximum of P1,320 per annum.
Among ESC grantees, preference is given to overflow students whose family income is not more than P36,000 per annum.
Replacement of drop-out ESC grantees is not allowed. ESC grantees who drop out shall no longer be eligible for any GASTPE grant.
ESC privilege shall terminate if the grantee transfers to another private school outside the region.
Private high schools charging less than P1,700 including subsidy in SY 1991-92 must register with the DCC on or before July 25, 1992 (and every year thereafter) using TFS Form 1 (quadruplicate). The DCC submits a report of claims to the RPC using TFS Form 2 not later than August 20, 1992. The GRC consolidates using TFS Form 2 and submits to BSE-GASTPE Unit not later than August 30, 1992. Vouchers are processed at DECSROs which issue checks directly to schools.
An awardee is disqualified if (1) he fails in majority of academic subjects enrolled for one school year, unless failure is due to valid causes beyond his control; or (2) he transfers residence outside the region.
Seventy percent (70%) of tuition fee increase goes to salaries, wages, allowances, and other benefits of teaching and non-teaching personnel except administrators who are principal stockholders of the schools; it may cover increases under existing collective bargaining agreements effective at RA 6728 approval. Government subsidies are not used directly for salaries of teachers for non-secular subjects. At least twenty percent (20%) goes to improvement/modernization of buildings, equipment, libraries, laboratories, gymnasia, and similar facilities and to other operating costs. A certification on these allocations is attached to the final report.