April 19, 2018
DepEd Order No. 20, s. 2018
Table of Contents
AMENDMENT TO DEPED ORDER NO. 47, S. 2016, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE “OMNIBUS POLICY ON KINDERGARTEN EDUCATION,”
CLARIFYING THAT THE CUT-OFF AGE POLICY IS APPLICABLE TO BOTH PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SCHOOLS AND PROVIDING FOR TRANSITORY PROVISIONS TO ACCOMMODATE KINDER AND GRADE ONE ENROLLEES FOR SY 2018-2019 AND SY 2019-2020 WHO MAY BE AFFECTED BY THIS POLICY, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
To:
Undersecretaries
Assistant Secretaries
Bureau and Service Directors
Regional Directors
Schools Division Superintendents
Public and Private Kindergarten and Elementary School Heads
All Others Concerned
1. Republic Act No. (RA) 10157, or the Kindergarten Education Act of 2012, declares that it shall be the policy of the State to provide equal opportunities for all children to avail of accessible mandatory and compulsory kindergarten education.
2. RA 10157 and RA 10533, or the Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013, provide that kindergarten education shall mean “one year of preparatory education for children at least five (5) years old as a prerequisite for Grade 1.”
3. The Department of Education (DepEd) is vested, under RA 10157, with the authority to regulate the organization, operation and/or implementation of the kindergarten education program of both public and private schools. The DepEd is further charged with the function to oversee and supervise the organization, operation and implementation of the kindergarten education program and exercise authority over the operation of private kindergarten institutions.
4. The kindergarten curriculum is designed to respond to the holistic developmental needs of five (5) year old learners along socio-emotional, values, physical health and motor, aesthetic/creative, mathematics, understanding of the physical and natural environment, language, literacy, and communication. Moreover, the first quarter of the curriculum is designed to strengthen the learners’ preparation to meet the Kindergarten learning standards.
5. In view of the foregoing considerations, the Department hereby issues this Order clarifying the applicability of DepEd Order No. 47, s. 2016, or the Omnibus Policy on Kindergarten Education, to both public and private schools, thereby amending said Order to read as follows:
A. Item VI. 15.A of the enclosure to DepEd Order No. 47, s. 2016 is hereby amended to read as follows:
“VI. Enrolment Procedures
15. All Regional Directors, Schools Division Superintendents, and School Heads of both public and private schools are directed to accept children in accordance with the following guidelines:
A. Age qualification for Kindergarten learners in both public and private schools should be five (5) years old by June 1 of every calendar year. However, the school may consider learners entering Kindergarten who will turn five (5) years old by the end of August on the condition that the Philippine Early Childhood Development (ECD) Checklist must be administered to the learner prior to the start of the opening of the school year, to ensure that the learner is capable of meeting the expectations of the grade level. Parents may provide documentation and/or certification of the learner’s previous Early Childhood Education (ECE) experiences (i.e., preschool, day care, pre-Kindergarten) in addition to the results of the Philippine ECD Checklist.
For schools commencing their school year beyond June, the requirement that Kindergarten learners should be five (5) years old by June 1 and the extension period ending on August 31 shall be adjusted. For schools commencing their school year in July, Kindergarten learners should be five (5) years old by July 1 and the extension period shall be until September 30. For schools commencing their school year in August, Kindergarten learners should be five (5) years old by August 1 and the extension period shall be until October 31.”
B. To recognize the right of private schools to impose additional requirements that are consistent with existing laws, rules and regulations, a new Item VI.15.E is hereby added to the enclosure to DepEd Order No. 47, s. 2016, which shall read as follows:
“E. Private schools may impose special or additional admission requirements that are consistent with their right to operate as a private school as provided for under existing laws, rules and regulations. Such additional requirements may include, but not limited to the following:
i. passing of an entrance or qualifying examination;
ii. completing an additional pre-kindergarten program at an earlier age;
iii. passing other kindergarten readiness tools that such private schools may administer; and
iv. such other requirements that private schools may impose not contrary to existing laws, rules and regulations to maintain such private schools’ standards.”
C. To accommodate Kinder and Grade One enrollees in both public and private schools for School Year (SY) 2018-2019 and SY 2019-2020 who may be affected by this policy, the following transitory provisions are herein provided:
(1) For SY 2018-2019:
i. Learners who completed Kindergarten during SY 2017-2018 can enroll in Grade 1, provided that they turned five (5) years old within SY 2017-2018;
ii. Learners who will turn five (5) years old within SY 2018-2019 can be accepted to Kindergarten provided they pass the Philippine Early Childhood Development (ECD) checklist.
(2) For SY 2019-2020:
i. Learners who completed Kindergarten during SY 2018-2019 can enroll in Grade 1, provided that they turn five (5) years old within SY 2018-2019 when they complete Kindergarten;
ii. Incoming Kindergarten must strictly comply with the cut-off age policy stated in DO No. 47, s. 2016, as amended by this DepEd Order.
(3) For SY 2020-2021
Both incoming Kindergarten and Grade 1 learners shall strictly comply with the policy as stated under Item VI. 15.A of the enclosure to DepEd Order No. 47, s. 2016, as amended by this DepEd Order.
6. DepEd Order No. 47, s. 2016, Memorandum No. DM-CI-2017-00454 dated 11 December 2017 entitled Clarificatory Guidelines on the Provisions of DepEd Order No. 47, s. 2016 “Omnibus Policy on Kindergarten Education”, DepEd Order No. 3, s. 2018, and all other DepEd Orders, mles, regulations, issuances, which are inconsistent with this Order, are hereby repealed or modified accordingly.
7. These guidelines shall take effect immediately.
8. Immediate dissemination of and strict compliance with this Order is directed.
LEONOR MAGTOLIS BRIONES
Secretary
My child will only turn 5yrs.old this December, sana nman payagan silang makapag kinder. It’s unfair to those who have birthdays on November & December, bakit hindi pa nila ginawang until December yung cut-off. Hoping na maccept yung mga kids na mag 5 yrs. old until December, lalo at willing naman ang mga bata at parents na mag-aral sila.
Hi po! Ang anak ko po ay natapos na ang kinder 1 and kinder 2 nag graduate na po sya ngayong july, nag pa enrolled po ako for pre school nya kaso po hindi po sya tinanggap kasi mag fifive(5) palang daw po sya sa Nov 9, dapat daw po hanggang Oct 31 lang ang birthday bago mag five. Kaka dissapointed lang kasi pinapabalik na naman sya ng kinder 2 eh sayang ang isang taon kung babalik na naman sya 9 days nalang naman Oct 31-Nov 9 sayang ang taon, please sana po ma accept nalang ang anak ko. May possibilities po ba na matanggap ang anak ko for pre school?
Did you have answer on this?was your child accepted in kindergarten?I have the same issue for my daughter. Thank you
My son is turning 5 years old this November 20,2021 and also started kindergarten but the teacher wants him to stop because the cut off of kinder is october 31st.
Are there any considerations?
My son are already half way and i don’t want it to stop just because of the age difference.
Good Morning my son turning 5 this coming Nov 5, 2016.
He is accepted to kinder this year and next year he’s going grade 1
Thank you
Need help.
Hello ma’am / sir, my daughter finished a Nursery and Kinder 1 at Private School . She will be turn 5 years old on December 16, 2020.So sopusedly she will enroll in Preschool, But sad to say when I enroll her in Public School. She cant accept because their is a specific guide line in deped order of the in coming pre-school . So what will I do for my Daugther? Is thier any solution in my dautjers case about her age in this pandemic issues? So how can i find the solution my child is eager to learn and attend to school this year because she passednKinder 1 and with honor. Who will help me in my case? Where do I go? Why the private school accept my daugther if it is happened .Im worry about this. I what somebody to advise what will i do for this? Thank you..for readibg and understanding.
Hi! Did you get any response from your inquiry?
My Son is 5 yrs old and completed the Pre-SChool Education S.Y. 2017-2018 He also completed his day care education SY 2017-2018. Supposedly he will be Grade 1 now. But he will not be accepted because daan muna ng Kinder. kasi affected sa cutoff age before? What is the best thing to do? I will enrol him in Grade 1 pero he will not be accepted because walang LRN. He will turn 6 years old thin november 6, 2018 .Sana naman po bigyan ng kasagutan! kasi sayang ang pera at panahon.
Since this Amendment was issued last April 21, 2018 and according to the School they just received it by May 2018. Hindi na po nila na inform yung mg parent ng students na 5yrs old for SY2018~2018. Possible ba na i Grade 1 yung child kahit natapos lang niya Nursery and Kindergarten Junior? Ano requirement
Required po na mag kinder ang bata bago pumasok ng grade 1
This is a good info .. will be curious to also know if the cut off is only for entry age… is there a max age requirement too ? ( e.g. the kid is delayed ) I have been hearing that there is also a max age for each level and they will force the family to go up a level ( head straight to grade 1 ) if they are of certain age. Will be curious to get insights on this item
“Learners who completed Kindergarten during SY 2017-2018 can enroll in Grade 1, provided that they turned five (5) years old within SY 2017-2018” – how can learners complete kindergarten for SY 2017-2018 when the system only accepts those who will turn 5 years old as of August 2017?
Hi sana my maka basa at maka advise
Pano po ba mag enroll Ng grade 1 Ng wlang LRN, dito po siya sa Singapore Ng K1 and k2 hinahanapan po Ang nh LRN which is wla siya kasi Oversee and K1 nya
Please help po thanks
This is a good amendment.. But there are cases that a child has already mastered kindergarten abilities at d age of 3 and 4 and has already completed one kindergarten class. Can it be an another consideration to accept d child in Grade1? I hope for some revisions on this policy in favor of my query. Thanks
My son had completed kinder garden at the age of 3-4 years old, entered Grade 1 at age of 5. Now, he is a 4th year College at age of 18, taking up BSCivil Engineering. Thanks God! sa mahal ng tuition fee ngayon at may K-to12 pa dina naabutan ng anak ko..:)
Sir my daughter will turn 5 years old on september 24, 2018 and just finished her junior kindergarten this last school year is it possible that she’ll be admitted as a senior kinder garten this school year 2018-2019? Thank you
hello po my son will turn 5years old this september 25,2018.. nakapag pre kinder na po siya ma accept po ba sya for kinder 2?thankyou po!:)
My daughter is 5years old and had already taken her pre-kinder last SY 2017-18. Question is will she be enroll as Grade 1 student or Kinder level for this coming SY 2018-19?
Good Morning!
RA No. 10157, or the Kindergarten Act, Institutionalizes Kindergarten as part of the basic education system and is a pre-requisite for admission to Grade 1.
Learners who completed Kindergarten during SY 2017-2018 can enroll in Grade 1, provided that they turned five (5) years old within SY 2017-2018” – how can a child complete kindergarten for SY 2017-2018 when he was denied by the system during SY 2017-2018 enrolment? the child was born Sept 2012 and what they have accepted for enrolment were those born June 2012-Aug 2012 only. Will DEPEd requires the private schools in Baguio City to require for a qualifying exams to those children who were not able to enroll in Kinder and want to enroll now in Grade1? Hope u consider this… Thanks
Hi Sir Marisse ,
May nag reply na ba sa comment mo? Pa share naman
Hi Ms Marisse and Marian, I have same concern as yours.My son turned 5 last September 4, 2017. He was beyond the cut-off which is August 31 so he can’t enroll yet for Kindergarten. He was not accepted to Kindergarten so we enrolled him on Day Care Center. Now, DepEd has this new amendment, my child can’t enroll again for Grade 1 bec. he has no LRN (Learner’s Reference Number) which is only available for those who took up Kindergarten. Napakamisleading po ng policies ng DepEd. Dapat maging consistent kayo para hindi nasasayang ung isang taon na sana ginugol niya for Kinder or Grade 1 na.Sana iconsider ung assessment niya from Day Care Center if he is.qualified for Grade 1 even without the LRN,