March 16, 2011
DepEd Order No. 23, s. 2011
TABLE OF CONTENTS
KINDERGARTEN SUMMER PROGRAM (KSP): A STRATEGY TO REACH MORE CHILDREN
To:
Undersecretaries
Assistant Secretaries
Bureau Directors
Directors of Services, Centers and Heads of Units
Regional Directors
Schools Division/ City Superintendents
Heads, Public Elementary Schools
1. The Philippine Education for All (EFA) 2015 Plan of Action cites that attaining success in the first grade encourages children to complete elementary education. This condition supports the findings of worldwide studies, that children exposed to the quality of preschool experiences determine their performance in the higher grades. To yield more EFA benefits, the Department of Education (DepEd), through the Bureau of Elementary Education (BEE) shall continuously expand and intensify the Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD)/kindergarten education coverage to all children aged three (3) to five (5) years. This Bureau has implemented the Preschool Program since 1970. However, as of 2010 only 79% of the 2.4 million kindergarten children from both public and private schools had been reached. This shows the low readiness level of Grade I children who are lacking in academic works. Likewise, this reveals prevailing high incidence of non-readers and frustration readers until Grade III.
2. To universalize quality assured kindergarten education and to ensure that all Grade I entrants shall have developed the necessary learning experiences to prepare them for academic works, this Department shall implement the Kindergarten Summer Program (KSP) in all schools for eight-weeks from April 11 to June 3, 2011.
3. Permanent Kindergarten teachers and those who were hired under the DepEd Subsidized Kindergarten Program during the school year shall handle the Kindergarten Summer Classes (KSCs). Enclosure No. 1 contains the breakdown of preschool teacher positions by region and division. A class shall have a minimum of twenty (20) and a maximum of twenty five (25) enrolees. In cases where the prospective enrolees are located in remote barangays, which are four (4) kilometers away from each other, an itinerant teacher (IT) shall be assigned to handle classes in two adjacent barangays, with each class having at least eight (8) enrolees.
4. Permanent Kindergarten teachers who will handle two (2) KSCs shall be paid each an honorarium of Four Thousand Pesos (P4,000.00) per month. The Kindergarten teachers under the DepEd Subsidized Kindergarten Program shall be paid each the amount of Six Thousand Pesos (P6,000.00) per month for two (2) classes. The IT shall be paid an additional One Thousand Pesos (Pl,000.00) for transportation expenses. Honoraria of the ITs shall be charged to preschool funds downloaded to all divisions upon submission of the report on enrolment to BEE on or before March 18, 2011. To facilitate the payment of honoraria and transportation allowance of ITs, the school heads/coordinators of KSP should submit the consolidated report on time. Furthermore, reports of additional classes should be submitted a week before the start of classes; otherwise teachers handling these classes shall not receive their honoraria and transportation allowance.
5. Children qualified to enrol in the KSP shall include those who will be Grade I by June 2011. They must be:
a. five (5) years old and six (6) months in April 2011 without preschool experience; and
b. above five (5) years old and six (6) months but without preschool experience and have not enrolled in Grade I.
6. The detailed mechanics for the KSP implementation is found in Enclosure No. 2.
7. Immediate dissemination of and compliance with this Order is directed.
BR. ARMIN A. LUISTRO FSC
Secretary
(Enclosure No. 2 to DepEd Order No. 23, s. 2011)
KINDERGARTEN SUMMER PROGRAM MECHANICS OF IMPLEMENTATION
The implementation mechanics for the Kindergarten Summer Program shall guide all regions, divisions, and schools in the organization, conduct, assessment, monitoring and evaluation of the program.
A. Organization of Kindergarten Summer Program (KSP)
The KSP will be taken as a compensatory opportunity in education for children who were unable to avail the Kindergarten Regular Program (KRP).
1. In the organization of Kindergarten Summer Program, all divisions shall prioritize providing such services to schools
2. A kindergarten summer class shall observe an enrollment of 20-25.
3. Permanent Kindergarten or Grade I teachers shall be paid an honorarium of P4,000.00 per month for two (2) classes handled. Teachers on contract may be considered but shall be paid P6,000 per month for two (2) classes handled. Teachers on contract may be considered but shall be paid P6,000.00 per month for two classes handled.
B. Reorientation/Training of Teachers
1. All divisions will reorient and/or train teachers who will handle kindergarten summer classes
2. The Bureau of Elementary Education (BEE) will conduct a national training of trainers who will form the cadre of trainers at the division level
3. The BEE will provide each division preschool kit and manual that will guide kindergarten coordinators in the conduct of training
C. Preparatory Activities: All Schools shall:
1. conduct an advocacy forum/meetings with the LGUs and parents to orient them on the importance of the program and thus draw-in community support
2. seek the cooperation and assistance of local or barangay officials to find/identify children who will enrolling in Grade I by June 2011 especially those who were left-out during the National Enrolment Day.
3. not accept children who are younger than those specified in Paragraph 6 of the DepEd Order and be admitted in the Kindergarten Regular Program or Kindergarten Contracting Program for highly urbanized cities
4. prepare list of enrollees indicating details as to name of the child, age and date of birth to be signed by the teacher-in-charge and to be submitted to the Division Office (DO) on or before March 11, 2011. The DO will in turn prepare the summary report of enrolment using the attached suggested format together with the list of enrolment for submission to the Bureau of Elementary Education on or before March 18, 2011. To facilitate downloading of funds, reports are suggested to be done on excel format and email at preschool.bee@gmail.com. Late submission of reports may mean delay in downloading of funds and even non-payment if submitted a week after classes have commenced.
5. prepare the Kindergarten classroom to ensure a child- friendly, safe and motivating learning environment. Classroom structuring shall follow the minimum standards set in DepEd Order 93, s. 2009.
6. seek support from the local government and other stakeholders in making the learning environment as attractive, conducive and effective as possible for children to gain optimum summer kindergarten experience.
D. Implementation of the 8-Week Kindergarten Summer Program Curriculum
1. All implementing schools shall use the enriched Eight-Week Kindergarten Summer Program curriculum. The kindergarten instructional materials – manipulative toys, songs in CD format, big books and storybooks distributed in 2009 by the Bureau of Elementary Education shall be used. Schools, however, are provided authority to seek support from the LGU in augmenting the existing instructional materials and/or equipment.
2. Each school with organized Kindergarten Summer class shall be provided Php2,500.00 support for the purchase of basic school supplies and other related instructional materials subject to the usual accounting and auditing with COA rules and regulations.
E. Monitoring and Evaluation of the Kindergarten Summer Program (KSP)
1. All regions are tasked to undertake a research on the implementation of the program in at least 30% of the kindergarten summer schools with the end in view of developing a quality assured kindergarten implementation option. It shall look into such areas as: learning environment, curriculum implementation, partnership arrangements with the local government and other stakeholders, issues and problems in implementing the program and short term effects on the behavior of children along the various domains.
2. All divisions are also tasked to monitor the whole process of the program from organization to implementation. It shall look into utilization of training gains, curriculum and instructional materials, document the schools best practices implementing the KSP, including issues and problems encountered and how each were resolved and the kind of technical assistance and/or support provided.
3. The BEE shall monitor the compliance to policies and guidelines set for implementation of the KSP. It shall look into the utilization of downloaded funds and consolidate research findings of the regions for policy review/modification and/or issuance.