MANILA — The House of Representatives has approved on third and final reading a bill seeking to expand the coverage of the government assistance to students in private education, to include all the years of basic education, from kindergarten to senior high school.

During the House plenary session on Tuesday, House Bill 11214 or the proposed Private Basic Education Voucher Assistance Act was approved by 202 congressmen. Three abstained, and no one voted against approving the measure.

“Presently, government assistance and subsidies are not extended to elementary education, but are confined to students in Grades 7 through 12, at the secondary level, where the challenges related to poor learning outcomes remain a significant challenge. Expanding the program to cover these earlier educational stages would help address these concerns and ensure more comprehensive support for students in need,” House Committee on Basic Education and Culture Chairperson and Pasig City Representative Roman Romulo said last week.

“The program has played a significant role in alleviating overcrowding in public high schools,” he added.

Under the bill, the voucher assistance will be provided to students from middle income families as determined by the Philippine Statistics Authority, who attended public schools identified by the Department of Education as congested or those living in areas with congested public schools, or without a nearby public school, who wish to enroll in private basic education schools. Students, who are most vulnerable and underprivileged, shall receive a higher voucher amount as determined by the Basic Education Assistance Council or BEAC.

Citing data from the Department of Education, Romulo said 398,930 students transferred from private to public schools at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. 

Between 2020 and 2022, enrollment in public schools increased by 1.5 million students, while in private schools, it dropped by almost a million students.