Question & AnswerQ&A (Republic Act No. 10618)
The short title of Republic Act No. 10618 is the "Rural Farm Schools Act."
The State declares it is policy to protect and promote the right of all citizens to quality education at all levels and to make such education accessible to all, especially through alternative modes suitable to the needs of rural agricultural communities.
Alternative delivery mode refers to nontraditional education programs recognized by the DepED that apply flexible learning philosophies and curricular deliveries including nonformal and informal sources such as facilitator-aided materials, structured and unstructured discussions, tutorials, and self-learning groups.
A rural farm school is a parallel learning system and alternative delivery mode of secondary education focusing on agri-fisheries, designed to meet the needs of children in rural, agricultural, or fishing communities.
CARP beneficiaries are farmers or their kin who have received Certificates of Land Ownership Award (CLOA) or Emancipation Patents under Republic Act No. 6657, as amended, known as the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law of 1988.
Relatives of CARP beneficiaries up to the third degree of consanguinity in the descending line are given priority admission when the rural farm school cannot accommodate all applicants.
The Department of Education (DepED), through the Bureau of Secondary Education, is responsible for regulating rural farm schools.
Yes, public rural farm schools are free from tuition and other school fees except those specifically allowed by the DepED.
Tutors serve as teachers, guidance counselors, rural developers, livelihood project proponents, marketing specialists, and project consultants. They also establish partnerships with parents through dialogues and workshops.
Public rural farm school personnel receive a monthly basic salary based on the Salary Standardization Law, as amended, along with other benefits prescribed by law.
A rural farm school must be accredited by the DepED to legally operate. The DepED can withdraw or downgrade accreditation if standards are not maintained.
Yes, any donation, contribution, bequest, or grant to a duly accredited rural farm school is exempt from donor's tax and is an allowable deduction for the donor's income tax under the National Internal Revenue Code, provided the school is also accredited by the Philippine Council for NGO Certification (PCNC).
The last two academic years focus on integrative learning across disciplines with emphasis on farm entrepreneurship theory and practice to promote local entrepreneurs and rural development.
The Department of Agriculture (DA), Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR), Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), and Agricultural Training Institute (ATI) provide training and extension services.
If any provision is held invalid or unconstitutional, the rest of the Act or unaffected provisions remain valid and subsisting.