March 14, 2000 DO 17, s. 2000 – Clarification on the Accreditation for Philippine Schools Abroad

March 14, 2000
DO 17, s. 2000
Clarification on the Accreditation for Philippine Schools Abroad

To: Undersecretaries
Assistant Secretaries
Bureau Directors
Regional Directors
Schools Division/City Superintendents

  1. In connection with Article IV, Sections 22 to 30 of the Manual of Regulations for Philippine Schools Abroad, the following clarifications are given on the concept of accreditation:
    1. Strictly speaking, accreditation applies not to the school but to a program/s i.e. elementary program which may include pre-school and/or secondary program. Thus, an accredited school may offer only elementary or secondary program or both.The exception is a foreign school, a Saudi school for example, which requests to implement the Philippine curriculum for Filipino students. Having met all the requirements, it may be given authority to do so.
    2. Accreditation comes in two stages, the Permit Phase and the Recognition Phase. The school applies to DECS by submitting all the necessary documentation and undergoes an ocular inspection by a team of DECS officials. After satisfying the requirements, DECS issues a Permit to Operate, renewable every schoolyear until the year previous to the beginning of the last curriculum year of the particular program/s: Grade V of the elementary level and Third Year of the secondary level.Then, the school applies for a Certificate of Recognition to DECS, the issuance of which is dependent on the performance of the school and where possible, on the results of actual inspection of the school.
    3. The Certificate of Recognition continues to be valid, unless a written order of revocation is issued by DECS.
    4. Recognition provides the school a permanent authority to operate program/s; to give certificates or diplomas to those who have completed the program/s; to qualify its students to take the NEAT and/or NSAT; and to entitle graduates to all the benefits and privileges enjoyed by graduates of similar program/s in all schools recognized by DECS.
    5. The list of DECS-accredited schools is enclosed.
  2. Immediate and wide dissemination of this Order is directed.

End.:
As stated
Reference:
DECS Order: No. 35, s. 1999
Allotment: 1—(D.O.50-97)

To be indicated in the Perpetual Index under toe following subjects:
ACCREDITATION
PERMIT
SCHOOLS

DO_s2000_17