DepEd issued Department Order No. 20 series of 2018 which establish the cut-off policy for Kindergarten that will be implemented in both public and private schools.
The Department of Education (DepEd) claimed that the cut-off for kindergarten is designed to cope with the holistic developmental needs of a five-year-old student, along with social, emotional, values physical health, creativeness, mathematics, understanding of the physical and natural environment, language, literacy, and communication development.
This is to make sure that Kindergarten students are suitably prepared for grade school. Education Secretary Leonor Magtolis Briones said that they are issuing the amended enrollment procedure to address the concern of parents while ensuring that Kindergarten learners are prepared to face the expectations od the grade level.
“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 School and Providing for Transitory Provisions to Accommodate Kindergarten and Grade One Enrollees for SY 2018-2019 and SY 2019-2020 Who may be Affected by This Policy, and for Other Purposes,” The order states that children who are under five years of age by June 1 shall be acceped in Kindergarten by both public and private schools. It emphasizes the authority vested by Republic Act 10157 (An Act Institutionalizing the Kindergarten Education into the Basic Education System and Appropriating Funds Therefor) to regulate the organization, operation and/or implementation of the Kindergarten program for both public and private schools.
The curriculum aims to strengthens the learner’s preparation to meet the Kindergartem learning standard.
Students who wish to enter Kindergarten who will turn five years old by the end of August may be considered by schools as long as they are administered with the Philippine Early Childhood Development (ECD) checklist before the school year opens. Children below five years old will not be approved to enroll.