To: Bureau Directors
Regional Directors
Presidents, State Colleges and Universities
Heads, Private Schools, Colleges and Universities
Vocational School Superintendents
School Superintendents

1. Declaration of Policy
   Letter of Instructions No. 1490, in effect, declares it a national policy to provide reasonable opportunities for students throughout the country to obtain a good second education. This policy proposes to give the graduate of some high schools with inadequate resource capabilities a chance to catch up and thus compete on even footing with graduates of the better high schools. For this purpose, remedial courses are to be offered to graduates who feel a need for upgrading their high school education.
2. Definition of Remediate Secondary School Courses
   The remedial secondary school courses are basic knowledge, values and skills development courses in communication, mathematics, and science. They should equip the student with the competency to communicate both in English and Filipino, to use mathematical and scientific concepts to solve problems and to employ social skills needed to participate in the life of a society.
3. The Beneficiaries of Remedial Secondary School Courses
   Graduates of high schools which, because of inadequate human and physical resources, are able to provide only the minimum of a high school education may enroll in these courses to enhance their general education base.
   These are students who feel a need of remedial education and who have been certified by their schools for further training in specific weaknesses that may hamper their success in higher education or in the world of work.
4. Responsibility for Offering the Remedial Courses
   The Bureau of Secondary Education, in coordination with the MECS regional offices and the National Education Testing Center, will select the best public and private high schools in every province and city to offer these courses. Selection shall be based on NCEE results for the last five years and accessibility to students needing remedial courses, and other assessments measures. The Director of the Bureau of Secondary Education should submit recommendations to the Minister for approval on or before February 5, 1986.
   The schools selected and approved by the Minister shall recommend the program for the remedial courses based on a survey of the needs of students. The program of remedial courses to be offered beginning summer of 1986 or the school 1986 -87 should be submitted by the school to the Minister through the regional offices and the Bureau of Secondary Education not later than February 24, 1986.
5. Courses to be Offered and Staff Responsibilities.
   The courses shall be offered either during the summer sessions or during regular school sessions for one full year as may be needed by the graduates seeking entry to any course. Priority shall be given to communication arts, mathematics and science. The length of the of the course shall be determined by the needs of the enrollees and as determined by the guidance office and diagnostic tests. The teachers and administrations of the selected schools shall work directly on this project. Regional and division offices shall perform only their usual supervisory functions in relation to these schools.
6. Management of Fees and Compensations
   Until funds for this purpose are appropriated and made available, the schools may charge a tuition fee sufficient to cover the costs of the program. This shall be recorded as Trust Receipts and disbursed for personal services cost including honoraria or compensation for teachers handling the courses and administrators and support personnel who render service directly to the program as well as maintenance and operating costs. Teachers may be paid honorarium at P200.00/month for every subject; administrators, at P300.00/month; and support personnel at P75.00/month. If teachers are hired on full time assignments, they are to be paid according to the standard salary scales of teachers. Additional textbooks, materials and equipment as may have to be acquired by the school for the program may also be charged to the said Receipts. All these are subject to government accounting and auditing rules and regulations.
7. Tuition Fee
   To keep to the minimum the tuition fee, the Director of the Bureau of Higher Education and the Deputy Minister in charge of BSE are hereby directed to make a realistic cost estimate of partial subsidy from the national government for possible consideration in the 1987 Appropriation Act.
8. Organization of Classes
   A remedial secondary school course may be organized if there are at least thirty (30) students enrolling in any one class. I no case, however, should a class have more than forty (40) students.
9. Monitoring the Evaluation
   The Director of the Bureau of Secondary Education, with the assistance of the Regional Directors, shall be responsible for monitoring the program. On the other hand, the NETC shall be responsible for conducting a yearly evaluation of the performance of high school graduates who have taken remedial courses in each selected school. Annual evaluation reports shall be submitted to the Minister.
10. Duration
    The special courses may be offered beginning summer of 1986 and for as long as this is a felt need and demand for remedial courses.

(SGD.) JAIME C. LAYA
Minister

Reference: None
Allotment: 1-3-4–(D.O. 1-876)

To be indicated in the Perpetual – Index under the following subjects:
COMMUNICATION ARTS
RULES & REGULATIONS
Courses of Study, SECONDARY
SALARY
FEES
SCIENCE EDUCATION
HONORARIUM
STUDENTS
LEGISLATION
TEACHERS
REPORT

DO_s1986_02