Title
Guidelines for Integrated Schools Establishment
Law
Decs Order No. 91, S. 1999
Decision Date
Aug 30, 1999
DECS Order No. 91, S. 1999 mandates the establishment of Integrated Schools to enhance access to basic education by combining elementary and secondary levels under a unified administration and curriculum, particularly in areas lacking adequate educational facilities.
education
integrated school
basic education

Policy intent and constitutional basis

  • DECS encourages and supports the establishment of at least one Integrated School (IS) in every region to promote access to basic education.
  • The Order is anchored on the constitutional mandate that the State should “establish, maintain and support a complete, adequate and integrated system of education relevant to the needs of the people and society” (Article XIV, Section 2, paragraph 1 of the 1987 Constitution).

When integrated schools may be established

  • An Integrated School (IS) may be established in areas where any of the following conditions exist:
    • There are no schools offering basic education.
    • The only elementary school in the locality is offering multi-grade program.
    • The number of elementary graduates does not warrant the establishment of a separate secondary school.
    • There are not enough items for teachers and schools heads that would justify a separate elementary and secondary school.
    • There is difficulty in acquiring school site for a secondary school.
    • There are inadequate equipment and resources to support separate elementary and secondary schools.

Distinctive structure and supervision

  • An Integrated School provides basic education from grade one to fourth year.
  • The school is managed by one (1) principal, whose basic orientation may be elementary or secondary level.
  • Regional/Division supervisors provide pedagogical assistance to the principal and other academic staff.
  • The school has one (1) set of administrative staff, and has a faculty club and PTCA composed of representatives from both levels.
  • Instructional supervision is done by subject area and cuts across the 10-year instructional program.

Staff qualifications and school-head consolidation

  • The principal must have:
    • A degree of Bachelor of Educ. (BEEd) or Bachelor of Secondary Education (BSEd).
    • Teacher eligibility in accordance with the Qualification Standards Manual.
  • Teachers must comply with the Qualification Standards Manual, including:
    • A BSEd/BEEd degree for teacher eligibility, subject to qualification standards.
    • For elementary and secondary levels, appropriate preparation and specialization as prescribed in the Manual and as reflected in the required education units/degree patterns stated for principal and teachers.
  • Teachers with a Bachelor of Secondary Education (BSE) or Bachelor of Elementary Education (BEEd) must teach in their respective levels.
  • Teachers with Bachelor of Science in Elementary and Secondary Education (BS-ESE) may handle both levels of education.
  • The IS shall have only one (1) principal.
  • If there are two (2) principals/school heads, the Schools Division Superintendent shall adopt one of these measures:
    • Transfer one principal to the nearest school with vacancy with secured consent/waiver, and in accordance with the rules and regulations of the Civil Service and the Magna Carta for Public School Teachers; or
    • If consent/waiver cannot be secured, retain both administrative positions until one item becomes vacant, after which the same item may be transferred to another school within the Division.

Enrollment, class grouping, and transition

  • High school-level enrollment should preferably come from students who finished six years of education from the same school.
  • Graduates from other schools may be admitted if they undergo a transition program based on diagnostic assessment.
  • Students may be grouped heterogeneously or homogeneously depending on the policy of the Schools Division supervising the school.

Unified curriculum, materials, and assessment

  • The IS uses a unified instructional program for both elementary and secondary levels.
  • The curriculum follows a continuum of competencies arranged from simplest to most complex from elementary to secondary levels.
  • Grade and year level categories may be marked to determine the student’s grade/year level for transfer purposes to a regular school.
  • The school must use instructional materials adopted in regular national schools.
  • Other resource materials may be used as references or enrichment.
  • The IS must follow the DECS rating system as articulated in relevant DECS issuances.
  • Promotion and selection of honor students follow the policies applied in other regular national schools.

Facilities and shared resources

  • Resources are shared by all grade/year levels, including rooms, instructional materials, equipment, and teacher expertise.
  • In rural areas, the school site must be at least one (1) hectare in size.
  • In rurban/urban areas, the school site may be less than one (1) hectare.

Budget implementation and staffing funding (School Year 2000–2001)

  • The following provisions apply starting school year 2000-2001:
    • The item of the principal of a newly established integrated school may be reclassified based on the number of teachers being supervised, pursuant to existing DECS and DBM Staffing Standards, subject to DBM approval and the availability of funds.
    • If warranted, the funding requirement for the reclassification of the principal item may be sourced either from:
      • lump sum appropriations for the reclassification of positions of the concerned DECS Regional Office; or
      • savings from the abolition of existing vacant positions in the Region,
      • subject to the availability of either source.
    • Salaries and other compensation benefits of teaching and non-teaching personnel, including funding requirements for maintenance and other operating expenses, for the newly established IS continue to be provided from the budget allocation for the DECS Division Office where the IS is located until the IS budgetary requirement is fully incorporated in the General Appropriations Act (GAA).

Procedures for establishment and operation

  • Elementary schools that opt to become integrated schools must follow the establishment steps:
    • One year before planned operation, the principal must indicate desire to transform by securing:
      • indorsement of parents in the community;
      • indorsement and support of local government officials;
      • certification of the Schools Division Superintendent to include the IS in the Division’s Budget and financial plan;
      • recommendation of the Regional Director and commitment for IS inclusion in the regional budget; and
      • approval of the DECS Secretary.
    • An IS implementation plan must be drawn, covering four years, and must cite:
      • number of prospective enrollees,
      • teachers,
      • rooms,
      • facilities,
      • budgetary requirements, and
      • alternative sources of funding.
    • The school must:
      • enroll elementary graduates, and
      • implement the first curriculum year of secondary education.
    • Students from other elementary schools may also enroll in the IS.
    • As the first year students are promoted to the second year, the school must enroll the next batch in the first year, continuing until the first batch finishes fourth year or graduates.
  • Private schools intending to become integrated schools must apply at the DECSRO and shall follow the Guidelines on establishment and operation of integrated schools.
  • Existing integrated schools must exert effort to upgrade to full integration, using these levels:
    • Partial: elementary and secondary share a common site with either one (1) or (2) sets of administrative staff and teachers, with separate curricula for elementary and secondary education.
    • Full: elementary and secondary share a common site, have only one (1) principal, and use a unified elementary and secondary curricula.

Monitoring, technical support, and training

  • The Bureau of Elementary Education and the Bureau of Secondary Education, in collaboration with DECS regional and division offices, must:
    • monitor integrated schools,
    • provide technical backstopping, and
    • assist them toward full integration.
  • The Regional Office must initiate summer training programs for integrated school teachers.
  • Summer training must cover new teaching techniques/strategies in various subject areas.
  • A strong link-up with Teacher Training Institutions (TTIs) is recommended to equip teachers to teach both elementary and secondary levels.
  • Regional/division supervisors must provide technical assistance in the training of teachers.

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