Policy and general objectives
- The State declares that science, technology and engineering are essential for national development and progress.
- The State must give priority to research and development, invention, innovation, and their utilization, and must also prioritize science and technology education, training and services.
- The State’s policy is to promote science and technology manpower aligned with economic development and to provide capability needed for research, development, innovation, and their utilization.
- The State must provide quality science and mathematics teachers at the secondary level to encourage more students to pursue science and technology careers.
- The law provides for scholarships to deserving science students and specially-gifted citizens to pursue higher education or training in science, technology and engineering, with incentives to become secondary school teachers, especially in their home regions.
- The law’s objectives include fast tracking more S&T graduates by offering scholarships to deserving students in their third year of undergraduate study who will teach science and mathematics in secondary schools nationwide.
Scholarship foundation and program coverage
- Section 4 builds on the existing Science and Technology Scholarships offered by the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) through its Science Education Institute (SEI) under Republic Act No. 7687.
- Republic Act No. 10612 expands the scholarship approach by offering scholarships to deserving students in identified S&T courses based on competitiveness and merit.
- The program targets students in their third year of undergraduate study and also provides additional incentives to attract graduates into teaching science, mathematics, and technology courses in public or private high schools.
- The law provides for scholarships for eligible students pursuing approved priority S&T courses identified and approved by DOST.
- Priority is given to applicants currently enrolled in such priority S&T courses under CHED-compliant programs.
Undergraduate eligibility, award, duration
- Scholarship applicants with a teaching incentive must be Filipino citizens.
- Applicants must be regular third-year college students at the time of award.
- Applicants must be currently enrolled in a state university or college, or a private university, especially in CHED-compliant programs, in identified priority S&T courses.
- Applicants must have a general weighted average (GWA) of eighty-three percent (83%) or better during their first and second year of college.
- Applicants must qualify in the Junior-Level Science Scholarship Examination.
- Recipients are entitled to an annual award for full-time study equal to the complete financial assistance package under Republic Act No. 7687 for approved undergraduate programs at quality schools, including CHED-compliant programs and DOST Network Institutions, with minimum slots awarded in private schools to offset differences in tuition costs.
- Recipients receive the award for the last two (2) years of undergraduate study, or for the last three (3) years for five (5)-year courses such as engineering, while matriculating in an approved program.
Approved courses and service contract terms
- Recipients must pursue degrees in science, technology and engineering as identified and approved by DOST as priority S&T courses.
- Applicants enrolled under such courses in CHED-compliant programs receive priority.
- Scholarship applicants must execute a service contract agreeing to:
- Teach as their return of service (ROS);
- Comply with approved ROS conditions; and
- Repay the amounts disbursed plus interest under the service contract terms.
- Failure to comply with the service contract requires full repayment (plus penalties, if applicable) of all award monies received within a specified time and limit.
Return of service and incentives
- Award recipients must teach full-time in secondary education subject(s) in Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry, or Physics; or Information Technology; or Agricultural, Aquaculture or Fisheries Technology.
- Recipients must teach both in the university and technical-vocational tracks in the secondary education curriculum.
- Recipients must teach for a minimum of two (2) years in a public or private high school.
- Qualified graduates hired to teach at a public or private high school for at least two (2) years are entitled to incentives including:
- A starting salary grade equivalent to that of a Special Science Teacher I in the Philippine Science High School System;
- Priority for job placement in any high school, public or private, of the graduate’s choice within the country, with first priority in the home province;
- A one-time relocation allowance if assigned outside the permanent residence;
- Scholarships in identified teacher education institutes for Science Education courses; and
- Passing the Licensure Examination for Teachers (LET) within five (5) years of hiring.
- Graduates of the four (4)- or five (5)-year S&T Undergraduate Scholarship of DOST-SEI under Republic Act No. 7687 may opt to teach full-time the courses identified in Section 10 for a minimum of two (2) years in a public or private high school in their home region.
- For incentive qualification, recipients must be “qualified graduates” and must be hired to teach for at least two (2) years in a public or private high school.
Teacher training and training capacity
- Section 12 tasks the Philippine Normal University (PNU)—as the National Center for Teacher Education under Republic Act No. 9647, the “Philippine Normal University Modernization Act of 2009”—and its network of teacher education institutions to provide training for hired teachers under the program.
- The law includes as training partners the National Network of Normal Schools (3NS) and CHED-compliant programs in teacher education, and recognized teacher training centers by CHED and the Department of Education (DepED).
- Section 12 provides that one thousand (1,000) scholarships are made available every year for these hired teachers.
- The one thousand (1,000) scholarships are to be sourced from the DepED, and coordinated with the teacher education and training provision of Republic Act No. 10533, the “Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013.”
Options for other STEM graduates and professionals
- Section 13 allows other STEM graduates and professionals who are not scholarship recipients to apply to teach science, mathematics or technology subjects in a public or private high school.
- Applicants must be Filipino citizens.
- Applicants must have graduated with a science, technology, engineering or mathematics degree with a GWA of eighty-three percent (83%) or better from a reputable university.
- Applicants must be at least forty (40) years of age at the time of application.
- Applicants must not have a service obligation under another program that conflicts with DOST-SEI obligations.
- Qualified graduates under Section 13 are entitled to teacher training programs in teacher education institutions as specified under Section 12, to prepare them for full-time teaching in a public or private high school in their home region.
Implementing agencies and responsibilities
- Section 14 designates the DOST-SEI as the main implementing agency of Republic Act No. 10612.
- Section 14 requires SEI to be responsible for evaluation, award-giving, and monitoring of scholarship grants and awardees.
- Section 14 requires SEI to coordinate with other relevant agencies to fulfill the law’s goals.
- Section 15 requires DepED to ensure job placement and hiring of qualified graduates as secondary school teachers in science, mathematics and related technology courses.
- Section 15 requires DepED to ensure that hired teachers receive Special Science Teacher salary grade levels as specified by the law.
- Section 15 requires DepED to conduct evaluation and monitoring of hired teachers under the program.
Review, implementing rules, appropriations
- Section 16 requires DepED, CHED, and DOST to report to the President and Congress after the first three (3) years, and annually thereafter on implementation and recommendations for improvement.
- Section 16 requires DepED, CHED, and DOST to monitor hiring of scholars in high schools.
- Section 16 requires tracer studies and inclusion of those studies in the annual reports.
- Section 17 requires DOST and DepED to promulgate the Implementing Rules and Regulations within sixty (60) days from approval of Republic Act No. 10612.
- Section 18 directs that the amount necessary to carry out implementation as specified in Chapter II shall be charged against the current year’s appropriations of SEI under DOST.
- Section 18 requires that thereafter, necessary sums to augment the Science and Technology Scholarship Fund under Republic Act No. 7687 be included in the annual General Appropriations Act.
- Section 18 authorizes SEI to accept grants, contributions and/or donations from domestic and foreign sources for scholarship grants.
Separability, repealing, and effectivity
- Section 19 provides that if any provision or part of Republic Act No. 10612 is held invalid or unconstitutional, the remainder remains valid and subsisting.
- Section 20 repeals or modifies all laws, decrees, executive orders, proclamations, and administrative regulations or parts inconsistent with Republic Act No. 10612.
- Section 21 provides effectivity fifteen (15) days after publication in the Official Gazette and at least two (2) national newspapers of general circulation.