To: Undersecretaries
Assistant Secretaries
Bureau Directors
Directors of Services, Centers and Heads of Units
Regional Directors
Schools Division/City Superintendents
Heads, Public Elementary Schools

1. Pursuant to DepEd Order No. 37, s. 2011 entitled Policies and Guidelines on the Implementation of the Universal Kindergarten Education, the Department of Education (DepEd) has implemented these policies and guidelines starting this School Year (SY) 2011-2012. However, due to some emerging issues and concerns, which go with this implementation, clarifications have been made such as the following:
   1. Five (5)-year old children who were not able to enroll in the Kindergarten Regular Program (KRP) in June 2011 can avail of the Summer Kindergarten Program to be offered in April 2012.
   2. Those who are six (6)years old children who were unable to avail of the Summer Kindergarten Program and who are not ready for formal schooling in Grade I will undergo the eight (8)-week curriculum on readiness and foundational skills.
   3. To maximize efforts as well as to minimize expenses of volunteer kindergarten teacher, he/she shall be allowed to handle two (2) classes with a total of six (6) hours teaching time and be paid a total amount of Six Thousand Pesos (PhP6,000.00) per month. Each class shall be composed of a minimum of eleven (11) pupils and a maximum of thirty (30) pupils with three (3)hours teaching time and the volunteer kindergarten teacher shall be paid an honorarium of Three Thousand Pesos (PhP3,000.00) per month for each class.
2. The School Heads (SHs) and the Schools Division/City Superintendents (SDSs) shall address immediately the challenges, which go with the implementation of the Kindergarten Education Programs, by the taking into consideration the following recommendations:
   1. Lack of volunteer teachers. The teachers from community- based centers such as the Sibol Foundation among others, and parents with pre-school education background can be hired based on the requirements provided in Paragraph 4.c.2 (a) of DepEd Order No. 37, s. 2011.
   2. Lack of classrooms. All available areas in the school, such as libraries, Home Economics (HE) rooms, covered courts and stages, may be utilized for Kindergarten classes. SHs and SDSs may seek the assistance of the local government units (LGUs), faith-based organizations and civil society in providing additional spaces for Kindergarten classes.
   3. Overcrowded classes. Only two sessions with a total of six (6) hours per day shall be organized to avoid holding of classes very early in the morning or late in the afternoon. A class can meet three (3) times a week, that is, every M-T-W (Monday-Tuesday- Wednesday) or Th-F-S (Thursday-Friday-Saturday)
   4. Need for training. The SDSs shall coordinate with the Bureau of Elementary Education (BEE) and their respective Regional Offices (ROs) so that the designated Regional Kindergarten Trainers (RKTs) and Division Kindergarten Trainers (DKTs) can immediately schedule the needed training with the distribution of the teaching guides.
   5. Need for teaching guides and other resources. The Basic Instructional Package and other donated materials for kindergarten classes, which were distributed this year and in the previous years, shall be monitored by the SDSs to ensure the proper utilization of these instructional materials by the teachers.
3. The Division Report on the Organized Kindergarten Classes includes the list of the Day Care Centers, names and addresses/locations together with the names of Day Care Teachers/ Workers, and the status of classrooms utilized. This Report shall be duly verified true and correct by the SHs and the SDSs and shall be submitted on or before July 29, 2011 to facilitate early payment of the volunteers and regular teachers’ honoraria as provided in DepEd Order No. 37, s. 2011.
4. Likewise, all Regional Directors (RDs) shall submit the Report on the Regional Implementation of this Order on or before August 15, 2011, which shall be addressed to Mrs. Simeona Ebol, Chief, Curriculum Development Division, Bureau of Elementary Education (CDD-BEE), 2nd Floor, Bonifacio Building, DepEd, Meralco Avenue, Pasig City 1601 at telephone no.: (02)638-4799.
5. Immediate dissemination of and strict compliance with this Order is directed.

References:
DepEd Order: Nos. 23 and 3 7, s. 2011

To be indicated in the Perpetual index under the following subjects:
CHANGE
POLICY
PUPILS
SCHOOLS

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