Republic of the Philippines Department of Education DepEd ORDER APR 17 2012 No. 32, s. 2012 IMPLEMENTING RULES AND REGULATIONS OF REPUBLIC ACT (RA) NO. 10157 OTHERWISE KNOWN AS “THE KINDERGARTEN EDUCATION ACT” To: Undersecretaries Assistant Secretaries Bureau Directors Directors of Services, Centers and Heads of Unit Regional Secretary, ARMM Regional Directors Chiefs of Divisions Schools Division/City Superintendents Heads, Public and Private Elementary and Secondary Schools All Others Concerned 1. For the information and guidance of all concerned, enclosed is a copy of the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act (RA) No. 10157 entitled “an Act Institutionalizing the Kindergarten Education Into the Basic Education System and Appropriating Funds Therefor,” otherwise known as the “Kindergarten Education Act.” 2. Pursuant to Section 24 thereof, these IRR shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in the Official Gazette or in two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 3. All Orders, Memoranda and other related issuances inconsistent with these IRR are deemed amended accordingly upon its effectivity. 4. Immediate dissemination of and strict compliance with this Order is directed. BR. ARMIN A. LUISTRO FSC Secretary Encl.: As stated Reference: DepEd Memorandum No. 25, s. 2012 To be indicated in the Perpetual Index under the following subjects: CURRICULUM SCHOOLS KINDERGARTEN EDUCATION TEACHERS LEGISLATION RULES & REGULATIONS POLICY SMA, DO IRR.or RA No. 10187 1156-Apal 12,2012 a Depa Complex, Mersco Avene, Pag cy 1600 A 6aa-708/6207228/612-1261 Ml 66.4876 /697-6200 wu apes. goe ph(Enclosure to DepEd Order No. 32, s. 2012) IMPLEMENTING RULES AND REGULATIONS OF REPUBLIC ACT NO. 10157, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS “THE KINDERGARTEN EDUCATION ACT” Pursuant to the provision of Section 9 of Republic Act No. 10157, “An Act Instituionalizing The Kindergarten Education Into The Basic Education System And Appropriating Funds Therefor”, otherwise known as the “Kindergarten Education Act”, approved on January 20, 2012, and which took effect on March 14, 2012, conformably to Section 12 thereof, the Department of Education, in consultation with the Department of Budget and Management, hereby issues the following rules and regulations to implement the provisions of the Act. RULE I. GENERAL PROVISIONS Section 1. Title, - These rules and regulations shall be referred to as the “Implementing Rules and Regulations of Republic Act 10157, otherwise known as the Kindergarten Education Act” Section 2. Declaration of Policy. - These rules shall be interpreted in the light of the Declaration of Policy found in the Section 2 of the Act: “In consonance with the Millennium Development Goals on achieving Education for All (EFA) by the year 2015, it is hereby declared the policy of the State to provide equal opportunities for all children to avail of accessible ‘mandatory and compulsory kindergarten education that effectively promotes physical, social, intellectual, emotional and skills stimulation and values formation to sufficiently prepare them for formal elementary schooling. This Act shall apply to elementary school system being the first stage of compulsory and mandatory formal education. Thus, kindergarten will now be an integral part of the basic education system of the country. Kindergarten education is vital to the academic and technical development of the Filipino child for it is the period when the young mind's absorptive capacity for learning is at its sharpest. It is also the policy of the Siate to make education learner-oriented and responsive to the needs, cognitive and cultural capacity, the circumstances and diversity of learners, schools and communities through the appropriate languages of teaching and learning.” Section 3. Definition of Terms. ~ For purposes of this IRR, the following definition of terms is hereby adopted: 3.1, Aet refers to Republic Act 10157, otherwise known as the Kindergarten Education Act.3.2. IRR shall refer to the Implementing Rules and Regulations of Republic Act 10157. 3.3. DepEd shall refer to the Department of Education, 3.4. BEE shall refer to the Bureau of Elementary Education. 3.5. Kindergarten education shall mean one (1) school year of preparatory education for children at least five (5) years old as a prerequisite for Grade I. 3.6. Mother tongue refers to the home language or the language first learned by a child, 3.7, Mother Tongue-Based Multilingual Education (MTB-MLE) is formal ot non- formal education in which the leamer’s mother tongue and additional languages are used in the classroom. 3.8. Kindergarten Education General Curriculum (KEGO) shall mean the standard curriculum for kindergarten developed by the Department of Education. 3.9. School Readiness Assessment (SReA) is a tool to determine the level of progress of Grade One entrants across different developmental domains that are critical in tackling Grade I learning competencies. Section 4. Institutionalization of Kindergarten Education, - Pursuant to Section 4 of the Act, kindergarten education is hereby institutionalized as part of basic education and for SY 2011-2012 shall be implemented partially, and thereafter, it shall be made mandatory and compulsory for entrance to Grade 1. 4.1. General Kindergarten Program. This shall refer to the ten-month program provided to children who are at least five years old in regular elementary schools using thematic and integrative curriculum to ensure the development of foundational skills among children to prepare them for Grade 1 4.1.1, Inclusiveness of Kindergarten Education. To cater to the needs of the leamers with special needs: the gifted, those with disabilities, and other diverse leamers, the following services in addition to the standards provided in the preceding section, shall be adopted: 4.1.1.1, Headstart Program for the Gifted. This shall refer to a comprehensive program for the gifted and talented pupils in public elementary schools designed to address the educational, aesthetic, and social needs of children who manifest superior intelligence beyond their chronological age. 4.1.1.2. Early Intervention Program for Children with Disabilities. This shall refer to the program designed for children who are identified with special educational needs. The program provides services that will arrest further handicapping conditions of