To: Undersecretaries
Assistant Secretaries
Regional Directors
Schools Division/City Superintendents
Heads, Public and Private Secondary Schools

1. It is an inalienable right of every individual to receive education which will enable him/her to become a productive citizen. The Philippine Constitution, recognizing this right, mandates that every individual regardless of age, sex, race, political or socio-economic status must enjoy access to quality and relevant basic education.
2. The Open High School Program (OHSP) is an alternative mode of delivering secondary education for both public and private schools. It puts premium on independent, self-pacing and flexible study to reach learners who are unable to start or complete secondary education due to problems of time, distance, physical impairment, financial difficulties, social or family problems.
3. The OHSP aims to:
   1. retain in school potential dropouts;
   2. encourage out-of-school youth of high school age (12-16) to return to school; and
   3. contribute to the accomplishment of the Education For All (EFA 2015) target which is 100% participation rate and zero dropout rate by 2015.
4. The Manual of Rules and Regulations for the implementation of the OHSP aims to guide the schools wishing to adopt or implement the Program. The guidelines are stated in general terms to give the schools enough flexibility to formulate their rules within the framework of an open learning system.
5. Enclosed is the detailed Guidelines on the Pilot Implementation of the Open High School Program (OHSP).
6. Immediate dissemination of and compliance with this Order is directed.

Encl.:
As stated
Reference:
None
Allotment: 1—(D.O. 50-97)

To be indicated in the Perpetual Index under the following subjects:
POLICY
SECONDARY EDUCATION

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