Philippine House Committee Seeks to Reinstate Bureau for Private Schools Management

Manila – The House Committee on Basic Education and Culture has initiated a move to reestablish the Bureau of Private Schools within the Department of Education in an effort to directly tackle the issues plaguing private educational institutions in the Philippines.

According to Philippines News Agency, the committee chair, the proposal for reinstating the Bureau was made during the panel’s discussions on a legislative measure aimed at broadening government assistance to stakeholders in private basic education. The bill, still without a number but substituting for House Bills 928, 1723, 5589, 1585, 7666, proposes to extend the existing financial aid programs to cover a full 13 years of basic education, including kindergarten through senior high school levels across private institutions employing a voucher system.

Romulo, who is also the author of House Bill 928, commented that the creation of the Bureau of Private Schools would enhance the existing framework by which private institutions are engaged and supported, thereby reinforcing their integral role alongside public schools. The envisioned Bureau would function as a dedicated body within the Department of Education to address the specific needs of private schools, including matters related to the expansion of the Government Assistance to Students and Teachers in Private Education (GASTPE) program.

Furthermore, the lawmaker highlighted the bill’s intent to maintain education quality as a criterion for the qualification of schools into the program, with student performance on examinations serving as a quality indicator. He also noted planned revisions to Section 8 of the bill concerning the ‘Basic Education Voucher Program,’ clarifying the allocation of funds—70 percent of which would be directed towards the compensation of teaching and non-teaching staff, with the remaining 20 percent earmarked for infrastructural improvement and modernization efforts.

The move to reinstate the Bureau comes as a strategic step to ensure that the consultation and consent mechanisms with private educational bodies are structured and effectively managed under the purview of the Department of Education.