DepEd Order No. 32, s. 2013: Protection of Religious Rights of Students

DepEd Order No. 32, s. 2013, dated July 16, 2013, reiterates DECS Order No. 53, s. 2001, titled Strengthening the Protection of Religious Rights of Students. It reminds all public schools that students have a constitutional right to freedom of religion and to equal treatment regardless of sex, religion, creed, or color. It also sets out specific rules for Muslim students and for ALIVE teachers who wear a full-face veil.

The Department of Education issued the order after the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos called for strict implementation of the policy on the right of Muslim Filipino women to wear the hijab (veil). It was signed by then Education Secretary Br. Armin A. Luistro FSC.

On this page 6 sections

Key points

• All students: Schools should protect and strengthen students’ constitutional rights to freedom of religion and to non-discrimination on the basis of sex, religion, creed, or color.
• Hijab in school: Female Muslim schoolchildren should be allowed to wear their veil or headdress (hijab) inside the school campus.
• PE classes: Muslim girls may wear clothing that fits their religious beliefs during Physical Education (PE) classes.
• Religious rites: Muslim students must not be required to take part in non-Muslim religious rites.
• Wearing the hijab is a choice: DepEd supports the right of Muslim Filipino women to wear the hijab, but it does not force them to wear it.
• ALIVE teachers with a full-face veil: The order strongly suggests that these teachers may wear the full-face veil outside the classroom but remove it inside the classroom.

Who it covers

The order is addressed to DepEd undersecretaries, assistant secretaries, bureau directors, directors of services, centers and heads of units, regional directors, schools division and city superintendents, and heads of public elementary and secondary schools. Its provisions apply to students in public schools, especially Muslim students, and to Muslim women hired as ALIVE teachers.

Rules for ALIVE teachers who wear a full-face veil

The order gives two conditions, which it describes as “strongly suggested” rather than required:

1. Wearing a veil that covers the entire face is allowed outside the classroom.
2. Inside the classroom, the teacher (referred to in the order as the ustadja) is asked to remove the veil, for two reasons:
   • so pupils can properly identify their teacher, which builds a better teacher-pupil relationship; and
   • to support effective language teaching, since seeing the teacher’s lips helps pupils recognize letters and produce letter sounds correctly.

What schools and offices need to do

The order asks for its immediate dissemination and strict compliance. In practice, school heads should make sure that Muslim girls are not stopped from wearing the hijab on campus or appropriate clothing in PE, and that Muslim students are not made to join non-Muslim religious rites.

Full text of DepEd Order No. 32, s. 2013

July 16, 2013

DepEd Order No. 32, s. 2013

Reiterating DECS Order No. 53, s. 2001 (Strengthening the Protection of Religious Rights of Students)

To:

• Undersecretaries
• Assistant Secretaries
• Bureau Directors
• Directors of Services, Centers and Heads of Units
• Regional Directors
• Schools Division/City Superintendents
• Heads, Public Elementary and Secondary Schools

1. Pursuant to the constitutional guarantee on the rights of citizens to freedom of religion and non-discrimination on the basis of sex, religion, creed or color, all schools should strive that these rights of students are protected and strengthened.

   
   

2. The National Commission on Muslim Filipinos has called for strict implementation of the policy on the right of Muslim Filipino women to wear hijab/veil. Hence, the Department of Education (DepEd) reiterates its policy on the protection of religious rights of students as contained in DECS Order No. 53, s. 2001 entitled Strengthening the Protection of Religious Rights of Students, to wit:

   
   

   In specific case of the Muslim students, the following policies shall be adopted:

   
   

   a. Female Muslim schoolchildren should be allowed to use their veil or headdress (hijab) inside the school campus;

   
   

   b. In Physical Education (PE) classes, Muslim girls shall be allowed to wear appropriate clothing in accordance with their religious beliefs; and

   
   

   c. Muslim students shall not be required to participate in non-Muslim religious rites.

   
   

3. Furthermore, while the Department supports and promotes the right of Muslim Filipino women to wear the hijab/veil, it does not compel Muslim Filipino women to wear it.

   
   

4. For Muslim Filipino women who are wearing the veil that covers the entire face (ustadja) and have been hired as ALIVE teachers, the following conditions are strongly suggested:

   
   

   a. Wearing such veil covering the entire face is allowed outside the classroom.

   
   

   b. Once the ustadja is in the classroom she is requested to remove the veil for the following reasons:

   
   

   i. For proper identification of the teachers by the pupils, thus promoting better teacher-pupil relationship; and

   
   

   ii. In support of effective language teaching, recognition and discrimination of letters and their sounds are enhanced. Lip formation significantly helps in the correct production of the letter sounds.

   
   

5. Immediate dissemination of and strict compliance with this Order is desired.

   
   

BR. ARMIN A. LUISTRO FSC
Secretary

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