Question & AnswerQ&A (Republic Act No. 8496)
The short title of Republic Act No. 8496 is the "Philippine Science High School (PSHS) System Act of 1997."
The State shall give priority to research and development, invention, innovation, and their utilization; and to Science and Technology education, training and services. It supports indigenous, appropriate, and self-reliant scientific and technological capabilities and their application to the country's productive systems and national life, by establishing a PSHS System as a leader in secondary level science and technology education.
The objectives are to integrate the existing PSHS campuses into one system; ensure uniform quality standards and systematize operations; and rationalize the establishment of science high schools under the Act.
PSHS are secondary schools offering scholarships to deserving students who are admitted and trained under a curriculum specifically designed to prepare them for careers in science and technology.
The PSHS System is composed of the existing campuses at Diliman, Eastern Visayas, Western Visayas, Mindanao, and any future campuses established under the law.
The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) has administrative supervision over the PSHS System.
The Board of Trustees is composed of the Secretary of DOST (Chairman), Secretary of DECS (Vice Chairman), President of the University of the Philippines, Executive Director of PSHS, Director of the Science Education Institute, President of the PSHS National Alumni Association, and five private sector representatives from higher education, gifted education, industry, agriculture, and new/emerging technologies.
The Board formulates policies and guidelines for administration and operations; handles appointments, promotions, and discipline; approves curricula, student selection criteria, scholarships, graduations; approves the budget; receives grants and donations; develops expansion policies; rationalizes science high schools; and prepares strategic plans for developing human resources in science and mathematics.
The Executive Director is appointed by the Chairman with Board approval, has a six-year term, and coordinates implementation of Board policies, curriculum planning, research on gifted students, publications, legal/technical support, exchange programs, networking, scholar selection, and secretariat services to the Board.
The Campus Director is appointed by the Board upon Executive Director recommendation for a six-year renewable term, serves as the administrative and academic head of a campus, ensures smooth operations, and may form a consultative body to address educational needs of the campus service area.
The Executive Committee is composed of the Executive Director and all Campus Directors in the PSHS System and acts collegially.
Initial implementation costs are charged against the current budgets of individual PSHS campuses. Subsequently, funding is included in the annual General Appropriations Act, with a P20 million appropriation for the initial year of system operation, in addition to existing campus budgets.
The Board of Trustees is mandated to formulate the implementing rules and regulations necessary to carry out the Act's provisions.
The separability clause states that if any provision is declared unconstitutional or invalid, the other parts not affected shall remain in full force and effect.
The Act took effect the day following its complete publication in at least two newspapers of general circulation, after its approval on February 12, 1998.