Bicam-approved voucher bill to ease classroom crowding – Legarda

MANILA, Philippines — The proposed Basic Education Voucher Program Act, approved by the bicameral conference committee, will expand school choices and give more Filipino students access to better learning environments, Sen. Loren Legarda, co-author and co-sponsor of the bill, said in a statement on Monday.

The bill institutionalizes a unified private education voucher system to ease classroom congestion in public schools, ease learning constraints such as high student-to-teacher ratios, and give Filipino learners greater educational choice.

Legarda noted that the bill comes at a critical time, as overcrowded classrooms and high student-to-teacher ratios continue to weaken learning conditions, affect children’s social development, and diminish the quality of classroom interactions.

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She described the measure as a significant reform, saying: “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.”

“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,” she added.

The bicameral conference committee has already approved the bill, which is 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, as amended.

Conducive classrooms for all

Legard noted that recent grave incidents of student violence underscored the importance of learning environments where teachers can give students closer guidance and attention.

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According to her, easing congestion in public schools and allowing more learners to access participating private schools will help create more supportive, orderly, and conducive classrooms for all.

Private schools, she stressed, play a vital role as partners in the country’s basic education system. They will accommodate more learners, reducing the burden on public schools and fostering classrooms where teachers can focus on instruction and students can thrive.

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“This partnership ensures that every Filipino child has a fair chance to succeed,” Legarda said.

She explained that easing congestion in public schools strengthens retention, lowers dropout rates, and allows teachers to deliver quality instruction more effectively.

The measure, she added, would also strengthen accountability and transparency because participating private schools must undergo quality assurance, administer national assessments, and publish performance data.

Meanwhile, teachers in private schools will benefit from in‑service training, salary subsidies, and graduate scholarships, ensuring that reforms uplift both learners and educators.

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“Education remains the nation’s greatest equalizer,” Legarda said, underscoring the broader impact of the Basic Education Voucher Program in improving learning outcomes and maximizing public resources.

With education reform among her legislative priorities, Legarda has served in the following posts:

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former chair of the Senate Committee on Basic Education

former chair of the Committee on Higher, Technical, and Vocational Education

former co‑chair of the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM II). Across these roles, she consistently advanced measures that placed equity and quality at the center of education policy

/atm