Amended special education fund guidelines issued

Recent laws addressing the Philippines' literacy gap are now covered by the amended guidelines on the use of the special education fund (SEF).

- By BELLA CARIASO

Allowable expenses now include programs implementing the Early Childhood Care and Development System Act, Academic Recovery and Accessible Learning Program Act and the national feeding program.

Schools' results in the Comprehensive Rapid Literacy Assessment, Philippine Informal Reading Inventory and Rapid Mathematics Assessment will be used by local government units (LGUs) for their SEF budget preparation.

The SEF is sourced from a one-percent additional tax on real property.

Agencies that issued the joint circular amending the guidelines are the Departments of Education (DepEd), Budget and Management, the Interior and Local Government and Finance.

“This landmark joint circular is what will enable us to fix the foundations,” said Karol Mark Yee, executive director of the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2).

“More than just providing a list of allowable expenses, the new circular puts a strong focus on improving learning outcomes,” he added.