To: Regional Directors
Schools Division/City Superintendents
Heads, Public and Private Elementary and Secondary Schools
All Others Concerned

1. In line with this Department’s thrust of making basic education open and accessible to all learners, an honors program for top students entering Grade 7 in School Year (SY) 2012-2013 will be offered in the Open High School (OHS) of private schools participating in the Education Service Contracting (ESC) Program.
2. The students eligible for the Honors Program are those who:
   a. belong to the upper two percent (2%) of the graduating class (based on Mean Percentage Scores (MPS) in Grade 6 National Achievement Test (NAT) or with an average in Grade 6 of ninety percent (90%) and above;
   b. have the capacity for independent learning; and
   c. are willing to study in a private school.
3. Forty thousand (40,000) new slots are available on a first-come, first-served basis to the top two percent (2%) graduates of public elementary schools who wish to study in ESC-participating private schools.
4. Grade 7 (First Year) beneficiaries of this program across all regions shall enjoy an all-in grant in the amount of Six Thousand Five Hundred Pesos (PhP6,500.00). Thus, parents don’t have to pay any tuition differential and miscellaneous fees.
5. In addition to the all-in grant, student-beneficiaries who can demonstrate advanced level of proficiency shall be eligible for acceleration on a per subject basis.
6. Principals of public secondary schools especially those schools where there is serious overcrowding should meet with the parents of top performing students in order to convince them to put their children in the Honors Program of the OHS.
7. The guidelines and procedure for participation in the OHS Program are provided in Item 4 General Guidelines, Section C. Amounts of the ESC and Other Financial Matters, under For ESC Grantees in Formal Schooling of the Enclosure to DepEd Order No. 35, s. 2012 entitled “Policies and Guidelines on the Implementation of the Government Assistance to Students and Teachers in Private Education (GASTPE) Program Effective SY 2012-2013.”
8. Immediate dissemination of and strict compliance with this Order is directed.

References:
DepEd Order Nos.: (35, s. 2012) and 46, s. 2006

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

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