An expanded government voucher program that would unlock private schools for state subsidies moved a step closer to becoming law after a bicameral conference committee approved a measure aimed at easing chronic overcrowding in public schools.

The proposed Basic Education Voucher Assistance Act, which reconciles the differing versions approved by the Senate and the House of Representatives, would institutionalize tuition subsidies from Kindergarten to Grade 12 and broaden eligibility to include students from middle-income families, a significant expansion from the current program.

The measure is designed to reduce enrollment pressure on public schools by enabling qualified learners to transfer to participating private schools using government-funded vouchers, while also providing financial support to the private education sector.

Solution to congestion

Education Secretary Sonny Angara on Wednesday welcomed the bicameral approval, describing the measure as a practical response to classroom congestion and unequal access to quality education.

“This milestone legislation provides a pragmatic solution to the logistical constraints of our public school system while giving middle-middle-income and below families more equitable access to quality schooling,” Angara said in a statement.

Under the bill, tuition assistance would be available to learners from middle-income households and below, expanding the government’s existing subsidy program beyond its traditional beneficiaries.

The proposal also extends voucher assistance throughout the entire basic education cycle, from Kindergarten to Grade 12, and covers students whose preferred senior high school tracks or strands are unavailable in nearby public schools.

Priority beneficiaries include learners from overcrowded public schools, learners from communities without nearby public schools, and learners from vulnerable and disadvantaged sectors.

The measure also calls for the creation of a centralized Department of Education registry for voucher recipients and participating private schools to improve monitoring, accountability and program implementation.