Senator Loren Legarda said the proposed Basic Education Voucher Program Act will help ease classroom congestion in public schools by expanding access to participating private schools and giving learners more education options.
Legarda, co-author and co-sponsor of the measure, welcomed the bicameral conference committee’s approval of the reconciled version of Senate Bill No. 1981 and House Bill No. 4744, which seeks to amend Republic Act No. 6728, or the Government Assistance to Students and Teachers in Private Education Act.
The measure institutionalizes a unified private education voucher system designed to reduce overcrowding in public schools, address high student-to-teacher ratios, and provide more learners access to less congested learning environments.
“By expanding access to private education through the voucher system, students who would otherwise be crowded into overstretched public schools gain additional opportunities to learn in less congested, more supportive environments,” Legarda said.
Legarda said overcrowded classrooms continue to affect learning conditions, student focus, classroom interaction, and the ability of teachers to provide closer guidance to learners.
She said the measure is especially relevant as schools confront challenges linked to overcrowding, including weaker learning conditions and the need for more orderly and supportive classroom environments.
“Every child, regardless of background, deserves the dignity of quality education. This measure invests in our learners’ future by ensuring that no child is forced by circumstance to learn in overcrowded classrooms,” Legarda said.
The senator said private schools play an important complementary role in the basic education system by helping absorb more learners and reducing pressure on public schools.
She added that easing classroom congestion could help improve retention, reduce dropout rates, and allow teachers to deliver instruction more effectively.
The proposed voucher system also includes accountability measures for participating private schools, including quality assurance, national assessments, and the publication of performance data.
Teachers in participating private schools are also expected to benefit from in-service training, salary subsidies, and graduate scholarships.
“Education remains the nation’s greatest equalizer,” Legarda said, adding that the measure seeks to improve learning outcomes while maximizing public resources.
Legarda has pushed education reforms as former chair of the Senate Committee on Basic Education, former chair of the Committee on Higher, Technical, and Vocational Education, and former co-chairperson of the Second Congressional Commission on Education.
She said the Basic Education Voucher Program Act forms part of broader efforts to expand access, strengthen fairness, and improve the quality of basic education for Filipino learners.