To: Undersecretaries
Assistant Secretaries
Regional Directors
Schools Division/City Superintendents

1. Pursuant to DepED Order No. 51, s. 2004, two types of Curriculum for Madrasah Education had been prescribed: The Enriched Curriculum for Public Elementary Schools and the Standard Curriculum for Private Madaris. The former has now been implemented in all DepED regions nationwide and is known as the ALIVE (Arabic Language and Islamic Values Education) Program in the public schools.
2. The implementation of the Standard Curriculum for Private Madaris has been slow and deliberately low key. There are now about fifty (50) pilot private Madaris that have acquired permit to operate and implemented the Curriculum including those pilot private Madaris assisted by BEAM-AUSAID and EQaALLS- USAID.
3. Social marketing and advocacy had been conducted among stakeholders. Private Madaris operators and the larger Muslim Community are now ready for the total mainstreaming of Madrasah education into the National System of Basic Education.
4. Relative to the above and in the interest of supporting the peace process for permanent peace not only in Mindanao but the whole nation as well, the upgrading and total mainstreaming of private Madaris into the National System of Education is hereby ordered as a priority program of the Department. For this purpose and to provide incentive to private Madaris to adopt the Standard Curriculum based on best effort, the Department shall assist private Madaris in the:
   4.1 Sourcing of financial assistance from the Donor Communities, especially from member countries of the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) for the following:
   • Upgrading the physical facilities of private Madaris
     The physical facilities of existing private Madaris have to be upgraded. In addition, classrooms, furniture, laboratory equipment and libraries have to be upgraded and in some cases, be provided. For new Madrasah institutions or those that shall have to yet expand their enrollment and course offerings, new school buildings with complete facilities must be provided.
   • Capability building
     The program for upgrading the competence/capacity of private Madaris may include the following:
     – Teacher training;
     – Management training for administrators and finance managers; and
     – Installation of accounting and financial systems.

   4.2 Assistance in Augmenting the Recurrent Cost of Operation of Private Madaris
   The primary source of recurring costs or operating expenses for the salaries of teachers and non-teaching personnel, maintenance and other operating expenses shall be derived from the payment of tuition and other school fees. However, charging tuition fees can only be made when the quality of instruction in private Madrasah is upgraded and made comparable with the Christian sectarian schools. For instance, a private Madrasah in Marawi City shall have the standard of instruction comparable with that of Dansalan College, a protestant sectarian school.
   Same goes with the Madaris in Jolo and Cotabato City which should be as good as Notre Dame of Jolo and Notre Dame University of Cotabato City.
   For this purpose, and in line with the policy to decongest public schools and to provide incentive for private Madaris to adopt the Standard Curriculum for private Madaris as well as to augment the income from tuition and other fees, financial assistance is hereby granted to students/pupils of Private Madaris in the amount of P5,000.00 per student per school year, beginning SY 2007-2008.

5. For Private Madaris to avail of the financial assistance as authorized above (Item 4.2), they must comply with the following requirements:
   5.1 Obtain the permit to operate from the Department or DepED-ARMM;
   5.2 Adopt/offer the Standard Curriculum for Private Madaris as prescribed under DepED Order No. 51, s. 2004; and
   5.3 Charge and collect tuition fee in an amount at least equal to the financial assistance of P5,000.00.
6. The Undersecretary for Muslim Affairs, this Department, is hereby authorized to prepare the program/project concept and project proposals for assistance to Private Madaris in the above described areas of assistance (Items 4.1 and 4.2), including possible scholarship for students in private Madaris.
7. Immediate dissemination of and compliance with this Order is directed.

Reference: DepED Order: (No. 51, s. 2004)
Allotment: 1—(D.O. 50-97)

To be indicated in the Perpetual Index under the following subjects:
CURRICULUM
PROGRAMS
POLICY

DO_s2007_081