Levels of Decision Making

Gilbert M. Velasco

The Participants (stakeholders) who make judgment on what students should

learn, engage in curriculum development at three different levels: The Societal
Level, Institutional Level and Instructional Level.

1. The Societal Level - Judgment reached at the societal levels serves as basis and
reference for decisions reached at succeeding levels. Societal levels decisions are
those prescribed in legislations (law).
1.1. The 1987 Constitution of the Philippines on the aims of Philippine Education;
1.2. The Governance of Basic Education Act of 2001 - states the general goal of
basic education of promoting holistic growth of Filipino learners and enabling them to
acquire the core competencies and develop proper values.
1.3. The Education Act of 1982 or Batas Pambansa Blg. 232 which provides the
general objectives of elementary, secondary, and non-formal education.
1.4. The Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013 or The K to 12 Law (RA 10533)
– a law enhancing the Philippine basic education system by strengthening its
curriculum and increasing the number of years for basic education; adding
kindergarten and 2 more years as senior high school. (Please see the attached
document of the RA 10533)

2. The Institutional Level - This is where educationalists and academics can

critically study and actively participate in curriculum construction.
Two Sublevels:
2.1. National Sublevel - Dominated by consultants of various national educational
government agencies mainly the Department of Education (DepEd), The
Commission on Higher Education (CHED), and the Technical Education and Skills
Development Authority (TESDA). Among DepEd's multiple responsibilities are those
related to its general supervision if preschool, elementary, and secondary programs
in all public and private schools and state colleges and universities. DepEd develops
reforms as needed, sets up minimum curriculum standards, and sees that those are

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implemented as provided in the Governance of Basic Education Act of 2001 and
Batas Pambansa Blg. 232. With the enactment of Republic Act No. 772 or Higher
Education Act of 1994 which created the CHED, higher education was separated
from the former Department of Education, Culture and Sports (DECS) which is now
the DepEd. CHED supervises all chartered and non-chartered public institutions of
higher learning as well as all private institutions. This task includes the setting up of
minimum standards for study programs and the monitoring of their implementation.
Republic Act No. 7796 or the Technical Education and Skills Development Act of
1974, created the TESDA. TESDA is entrusted with the responsibility of formulating,
continuing, coordinating and fully integrating technical education and skills
development policies, plans, and programs in the country.

2.2. Local/Regional Sublevel - The extent of participation of educational institutions

in this level, varies based on the school's level of accreditation. Accreditation refers
to the formal recognition of an educational program or institution which qualifies in
certain standards of quality or excellence beyond minimum requirements. (Please
see attached document of the CHED Memorandum 01 s.2005 on guidelines in
accreditation)
Schools which meet these standards are accredited by any of the following:
1. Philippine Accrediting Association of Schools, Colleges, and Universities
(PAASCU)
2. Philippine Association of Colleges and Universities Commission on Accreditation
(PACU-COA)
3. Association of Christian Schools and Colleges Accrediting Agency (ACSAA)
4. Accrediting Agency of Colleges and Universities of the Philippines (AACUP)
Three levels of accreditation are given to schools based on their competence and
capability. An institution which at least after a preliminary survey visit is certified by
the Federation of Accrediting Agencies of the Philippines (FAAP).

3. The Instructional Level - The 2002 Basic Education Curriculum declares that "a
curriculum with a unified design which will have to be less prescriptive and detailed
and more flexible". The Curriculum is expected to be interactive and be "more

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efficient for contemporary learners who want to participate more actively in their
learning process". However, it gives the school principal, the teacher and the learner
minimal opportunity to localize their particular situation and needs based on the
higher level of decision making.

Reference:

Curriculum Development Copyright, 2008 by Dr. Purita P. Bilbao, Ed.D. et.al.

Bilbao, P. P., Lucido, P. I., Iringan, T. C., and R. B. Javier (2008). Curriculum
development. Quezon City: Lorimar Publishing, Inc.

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