MANILA, Philippines — Children who will turn five years old on or before Oct. 31 may now be qualified to enroll for Kindergarten under the new guidelines of the Department of Education (DepEd), which extended the previous cut-off date of Aug. 31.
Education Secretary Sonny Angara said that more Filipino children will now have the opportunity to enter Kindergarten as DepEd’s new admission policy is set to take effect this school year 2025-2026.
Angara said children who turn five between Nov. 1 and Dec. 31 may also qualify if they have completed a year of Early Childhood Development program at a recognized Child Development Center or Learning Center, or if they pass the ECD checklist administered during enrollment and in the first week of classes.
“This policy is rooted in our understanding that every child grows and learns at their own pace. By allowing more flexibility in the Kindergarten age requirement, we are making sure that each learner has the opportunity to start strong and succeed from day one,” Angara noted.
Private schools are likewise required to comply with the revised age cut-off, but may conduct their own readiness assessments as part of their admissions process.
In 2024, over 1.8 million Kindergarten learners were enrolled nationwide out of 26.4 million learners across public and private schools, including Philippine schools overseas.
With the revised guidelines, DepEd anticipates an increase in enrollees during the nationwide enrollment period for public schools, scheduled from June 9 to 13, following early registration earlier this year.
Classes will begin on June 16.
No mandatory collection for Brigada Eskwela
Angara said that there should be no mandatory collection for the Brigada Eskwela amid preparations for the school opening.
“Forcing (parents) is prohibited. It should be voluntary,” Angara said in a text message to The STAR.
Angara added that the preparations for the school opening need not to be expensive.
“Next week, we will start the Brigada Eskwela, which is part of our tradition where the community unites and no less than the President will lead us in the launch. It is one-week long,” Angara said in a separate interview.
He said that volunteers are also encouraged to participate in classroom construction, cleanup drives, repair activities, reading sessions, advocacy campaigns and environmental initiatives.
Meanwhile, Angara admitted that the DepEd faces various challenges in the opening of the school year such as the shortage of 165,000 classrooms, largely due to the growing population.
“The President has many solutions, including the hiring of 20,000 new teachers, the hiring of 10,000 administrative officers,” Angara said.
He added that pilot implementation of the strengthened senior high school (SHS) program is slated this school year.
The pilot testing will be conducted in 841 schools, with 580 public and 261 private schools participating.
Thirty-five pilot schools are in rural areas.
Changes to the SHS program include a decongested curriculum and more work immersion hours.
School year 2025-2026 ends on March 31, 2026.