Philippines

Compulsory Education Age

6–12 years old

Estimated Number of Homeschoolers

12,000 families

Legal Status

The Philippines Constitution, Article XIV, Section 1(2) states that the country will “Establish and maintain, a system of free public education in the elementary and high school levels. Without limiting the natural right of parents to rear their children…” Under the last phrase, “Without limiting the natural right of parents to rear their children,” religious groups, mission boards, and families can branch off from public education to create their own private education. However, the Constitution also provides under Section 4 (1) that “the State recognizes the complementary roles of public and private institutions in the education system and shall exercise reasonable supervision and regulation of all education institutions.” Further, the Department of Education (DepEd) Memo no. 216 s. 1997 entitled “Home Education Program” states that if a homeschooled student wants to transfer into a conventional school, he or she must first be accredited by the DepEd.

Home Study Programs are implemented by interested divisions of the Department of Education in consonance with the 1987 Constitution (Article XV) which provides that quality education at all levels be made accessible to all Filipinos, and that non-formal and indigenous learning systems, as well as self-learning and out-of-school study programs, particularly those that respond to community needs be developed.

The Divisions of Quezon City and Rizal in the National Capital Region have home study programs. The objectives of the home study program in Quezon City are to:

“provide an affordable secondary education for all, and bring about an opportunity to enhance the quality of life of the citizenry; give opportunity for sickly and working students to finish their secondary schooling; and help solve the school problem of shortage of teachers and classrooms.”

Students in the program are issued the same textbooks in all subjects for the school year. They are given topics to study every week and required to answer questions given by teachers at the end of each topic. Contact sessions of students and teachers are on Saturdays. These sessions are for clarification of difficult topics encountered by students during the week.

The program in Quezon City addresses educational needs of working students, such as factory workers, baby sitters, vendors, canteen helpers, janitors, laborers, salesladies, the sickly, and street children who are willing to finish secondary education.

Admission requirements include at least 80 percent average rating in English, Mathematics, Science and Filipino at the elementary level, employment certificate if employed, and medical certificate if sickly.

The Local Government Code provides that local government units financially support home study programs. The officials participate in the operation of the program through the Local School Board.

The Home Study Program as implemented in some public schools is not in the organizational structure of the Department of Education. The public authority regulating the program is the Division superintendent through the school principal. Regulation is in the form of management of resources appropriated for the program by the local government.

Parents of children admitted to the program understand that full authority on instruction, guidance and supervision is given to the teachers. Some educated parents may help in the preparation of homework. Majority of the parents are busy earning a living that education is really left to the teachers.