Republic Act No.

10157
January 20, 2012 (https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/2012/01/20/republic-act-no-10157/)

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES

CONGRESS IN THE PHILIPPINES
METRO MANILA
Fifteenth Congress

SECOND REGULAR SESSION

Begun and held in Metro Manila, on Monday, the twenty-fifth day of July, two thousand eleven.

[REPUBLIC ACT NO. 10157]

AN ACT INSTITUTIONALIZING THE KINDERGARTEN EDUCATION INTO THE BASIC EDUCATION SYSTEM
AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress assembled:

SECTION 1. Short Title. – This Act shall be known as the “Kindergarten Education Act”.

SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy. – In consonance with the Millennium Development Goals on achieving

Education for All (EFA) by the year 2015, it is hereby declared the policy of the State to provide equal

opportunities for all children to avail of accessible mandatory and compulsory kindergarten education
that effectively promotes physical, social, intellectual, emotional and skills stimulation and values

formation to sufficiently prepare them for formal elementary schooling. This Act shall apply to elementary

school system being the first stage of compulsory and mandatory formal education. Thus, kindergarten

will now be an integral part of the basic education system of the country.

Kindergarten education is vital to the academic and technical development of the Filipino child for it is the
period when the young mind’s absorptive capacity for learning is at its sharpest. It is also the policy of the

State to make education learner-oriented and responsive to the needs, cognitive and cultural capacity, the

circumstances and diversity of learners, schools and communities through the appropriate languages of

teaching and learning.

SEC. 3. Definition of Terms. – The terms used in this Act are defined as follows:

(a) DepEd shall refer to the Department of Education;

(b) BEE shall refer to the Bureau of Elementary Education;

(c) Kindergarten education shall be understood in this Act to mean one (1) year of preparatory
education for children at least five (5) years old as a prerequisite for Grade I; and

(d) Mother tongue refers to the language first learned by a child.

SEC. 4. Institutionalization of Kindergarten Education. – Kindergarten education is hereby institutionalized

as part of basic education and for school year 2011-2012 shall be implemented partially, and thereafter, it

shall be made mandatory and compulsory for entrance to Grade 1.

SEC. 5. Medium of Instruction. – The State shall hereby adopt the mother tongue-based multilingual

education (MTB-MLE) method. The mother tongue of the learner shall be the primary medium of

instruction for teaching and learning in the kindergarten level. However, exceptions shall be made to the

following cases:

(a) When the pupils in the kindergarten classroom have different mother tongues or when some of
them speak another mother tongue;

(b) When the teacher does not speak the mother tongue of the learners;

(c) When resources, in line with the use of the mother tongue, are not yet available; and

(d) When teachers are not yet trained how to use the MTB-MLE program.

In such exceptional cases, the primary medium of instruction shall be determined by the DepEd aligned
with the framework being used in the elementary level including teacher training and production of local

resources and materials under DepEd Order No. 74, series of 2009.

The DepEd, in coordination with the Commission on Filipino Language and in close collaboration with

academic and research institutions concerned with education, shall formulate a mother tongue-based

multilingual framework for teaching and learning: Provided, That the DepEd will include teaching
strategies as defined in Section 7(c) which aims to introduce and eventually strengthen the child’s

understanding of English, which is the official language.

SEC. 6. Implementing Agency. – The authority to regulate the organization, operation and/or

implementation of the kindergarten education program of both public and private schools shall be vested

upon the DepEd, through the creation of a new Division under the BEE and other necessary support to
achieve successful implementation of kindergarten education to include, but not limited to, increasing the

number of kindergarten teacher positions with the required salaries and benefits, enhancing teacher

training in early education, and providing the necessary allocations for classrooms and chairs, facilities

and equipment, and textbooks.

SEC. 7. Duties, Powers and Functions. – The DepEd, through the BEE, shall exercise the following powers
and functions:

(a) Oversee and supervise the organization, operation and implementation of the kindergarten

education program;

(b) Develop the curriculum for kindergarten education consistent with the universally accepted norms

and standards, including values formation all of which shall be developmentally appropriate, and use
of the MTB-MLE as a medium of instruction and to periodically review such for purposes of

upgrading;

(c) Develop teaching strategies using the unique feature of the MTB-MLE which shall include, but not

limited to, the following:

 (1) The two-track method (storytelling and reading, listening story, oral communication activities);

(2) Interactive strategies;

(3) Use of manipulative games; and

(4) Experiential, small group discussions and total physical response (TPR) among others.

The learning development materials shall consist of the following at the minimum:

(i) Listening story;

(ii) Small books;

(iii) Big books;

(iv) Experience story;

(v) Primer lessons; and

(vi) Lessons exemplars;

(a) Conceive, develop and extend a continuing professional development program for

kindergarten teachers to ensure constant updating of their knowledge in current trends,

pedagogy, methodologies and concepts on early childhood education;

(b) Prescribe the necessary qualifications for the hiring and accreditation of teachers who will

handle the kindergarten education program;

(c) Exercise authority over the operation of private kindergarten institutions;

(d) Supervise the establishment of various venues for early childhood education which may be
institution-based, home-based, hospital-based or community-based, and which shall be duly

accredited by the DepEd; and

(e) Introduce innovative programs in kindergarten that shall include educational technologies,

whenever applicable.

SEC. 8. Appropriations. – The DepEd shall immediately include in the program of the Department the
operationalization of the free, mandatory and compulsory public kindergarten education, the initial

funding of which shall be charged against the current appropriations for kindergarten education of the

DepEd. Thereafter, such sums which shall be necessary for the continued implementation of the free

public kindergarten education program shall be charged to the General Fund and included in the annual

General Appropriations Act.

SEC. 9. Implementing Rules and Regulations. – Within ninety (90) days after the effectivity of this Act, the

DepEd, in consultation with the Department of Budget and Management, shall promulgate the rules and

regulations needed for the implementation of this Act.

SEC. 10. Separability Clause. – If any provision of this Act is held invalid or unconstitutional, the same

shall not affect the validity and effectivity of the other provisions hereof.

SEC. 11. Repealing Clause. – Pertinent provisions of all other laws, decrees, executive orders and rules
and regulations contrary to or inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed or modified

accordingly.

SEC. 12. Effectivity Clause. – This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in the Official

Gazette or in two (2) newspapers of general circulation.

Approved,

(SGD.) JUAN PONCE ENRILE (SGD.) FELICIANO BELMONTE JR.

President of the Senate Speaker of the House of Representatives

This Act which originated in the House of Representatives was finally passed by the House of
Representatives and the Senate on November 23, 2011 and November 21, 2011, respectively.

(SGD.) EMMA LIRIO-REYES (SGD.) MARILYN B. BARUA-YAP

Secretary of the Senate Secretary General House of Representatives

Approved: JAN 20 2012

(SGD.) BENIGNO S. AQUINO III

President of the Philippines

RESOURCES

[PDF]
Republic Act No. 10157, January 20, 2012
(http://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/downloads/2012/01jan/20120120-RA-010157-BSA.pdf)

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