The document discusses the Open High School Program (OHSP) in the Philippines as an alternative mode of secondary education using distance learning. The OHSP aims to provide access to education for those unable to attend regular classes due to issues like physical impairment, work, distance, or financial difficulties. It allows students to learn independently through self-paced modules and interact periodically with teacher facilitators. To participate, students must pass a readiness assessment and sign a learning contract. Evaluation includes written and oral tests, and students must master at least 75% of competencies to promote or 90% to accelerate. For the program to succeed, students must be ready for self-directed learning and the school/community must support rigorous monitoring of student progress.

1. The Open High School
Program: Learning
Anywhere , Anytime
By: Lolita M. Andrada, Ph.D

2. Discussants:
Mr. Gaddao II
Ms. Gala
Mr. Galela
Ms. Guadalquiver

3. What is the Open High School
Program (OHSP)?
 The OHSP is an alternative mode
of secondary education that uses
distance learning.
 It caters to learners who are
unable to attend the regular class
program due to physical
impairment, work, financial
difficulties, distance of home to
school.

4.  The Education for All (EFA) goal is to
making every Filipino functionally
literate by 2015.
 Its philosophy: Provision of Batasang
Pangbansa (BP) 232 or the Education
Act of 1982 “The state shall provide
the right of every individual to
relevant quality education
regardless of: sex, age, creed,
socioeconomic status physical and
mental conditions racial or ethnic
origin, political and others.”

5. FOREWORD
It is an inalienable right of every individual to receive
education which will enable him/her to become a productive citizen.
The Constitution, recognizing this right, explicitly mandates that
every individual regardless of age, sex, race, political or socio-
economic status must enjoy access to quality and relevant basic
education. To this end, the Bureau of Secondary Education has
designed the open High School Program (OHSP), as an alternative
mode of secondary education. The program offers an opportunity to
those who desire to complete the high school curriculum outside of
the formal school structure.
This OHSP Handbook aims to guide the schools interested in
implementing the program. The implementers are encouraged to modify
or adapt the content of the handbook to suit their local conditions
within the framework of an open learning system.
DR. LOLITA M. ANDRADA
Director IV,
Bureau of Secondary
Education
Department of Education
July 2008

6. (The background and Rationale)
Reaching the unschooled and retaining the under schooled
have always been a major challenge to the public school system. In
the SY 2011-2012, the net enrollment rate at the secondary level was
placed at 61.14%, indicating that 39% of children of high school age
remained out of school. Compounding the problem of low
participation is the high early-school leaving rate w/c in the same
school year was placed at 8%.
The cohort survival rate in the same school year was registered
at 78.44%, implying that some 22% of those in school were being left
behind.
The completion rate was recorded at 73.34% in the same school
year confirming the problem of high attrition rate at the secondary
level. Across indicators, the problem was greater among boys than
girls.
We must look at schools as no longer a place, but a process that
can take place anytime and anywhere is like in school. And w/c an
open learning system that will make education accessible to
everyone.

7. (The Issue and Challenges)
The open High School Program was designed
originally as an alternative learning system for those who
are unable to start or complete secondary education due
to problems of:
Time
Distance
Education design
Physical impairment
Financial difficulties
Living areas
This design inadvertently created the impression
that the program was for at-risk students only.
Moreover, the belief being that the only way to learn
is by going to school.

8. Goal and Objectives of the OHSP
The OHSP is aligned with the School
Improvement Plan.
To produce functionally literate learner/graduate
or one who has a mastery of:
1. basic competencies
2. problem – solving,
3. productive member of his family and
community.
Provides opportunity to all elementary graduates,
high school drop-outs, and successful examinees
of the Philippine Educational Placement Test
(PEPT) to complete secondary education.

9. Its philosophy is based on the
provision of Batasang Pangbansa (BP)
232 or the Education Act of 1982 “The
state shall provide the right of every
individual to relevant quality
education regardless of:
 sex, age, creed, socioeconomic status
physical and mental conditions

10. racial or ethnic origin, political and other
affiliation.”
Prevents potential school leavers and encourages
those who are out of school to finish secondary
education.
Reduces high school drop outs and increases
participation rate.
Increase achievement rate through quality
distance education.

11. Who can participate in the program? What are the
requirements for
participation?
The program is open to all public or private secondary
schools. Secondary schools interested in implementing the
program should meet the following
Requirements:
 1. Submit a Letter of Intent (LOI) addressed to the
Schools Division Superintendent (SDS), copy furnished the
Regional Office and the Director of the Bureau of Secondary
Education (BSE).

12.  2. Undergo a capacity building program to be conducted
by the BSE in preparation for accreditation as a
participating school.
 3. Make available learning facilities and equipment in
the school e.g., library, computer room, laboratory room,
workshop room, gymnasium, etc.
 4. Link with the community for the students’ access to
facilities like public library, baranggay learning center,
internet cafe, public sports facilities and those that will help
the students in their self-managed learning.

13. Who are qualified to enrol in the OHSP?
The program is open to Filipino learners
who can demonstrate capacity for independent
learning and are willing to undertake self-directed
learning.
Below are pre-requisites for enrolment:
1. Submission of any of the following:
 High School Report Card (in case of drop-outs)
 Elementary Report Card (for high school
entrants)
 PEPT qualifying certificate

14. 2. Passing of the Independent Learning
Readiness Test (ILRT) and the Informal
 Reading Inventory (IRI) test
(Appendices B and C). The ILRT
assesses the learner’s reading level as
basis for class grouping.
3. Interview of parent/guardian to get a
complete profile of the learner.

15. How shall the learner be evaluated?
1. Evaluation of learning in each subject
can include written and oral tests and the
assessment of required outputs.
2. Promotion is based on the fulfillment
of requirements and mastery of at least
75% of the competencies in each subject
area.

16. 3. Acceleration by learning area and by year
level shall be determined in highly meritorious
cases upon fulfillment of the requirements and
mastery of at least 90% of the competencies in
the subject area.
4. Retention of the learner in the program is for
a maximum period of six years with the option
to be mainstreamed in the regular program
anytime within the period of
study.

17. The following shall
Constitute a Portfolio:
Initial Summary – states the total rating of the
learners in the subject area
General essay – states the past experiences and the
kind of learning for which recognition is sought
The following supporting documents shall be needed:
 Written examinations
 Performance ratings
 Products/outputs submitted
 Eyewitness’ testimonies from peers, community leaders and
Employer (if employed) Other documents that will provide
evidence of meritorious performance.

18. Mechanism of Implementation:
1. Independent Learning Readiness
Assessment.
 Learners who wish to participate in the
Open High Sschool Program shall take
the Independent Learning Readines
Assessment to be administered by the
school, the results of w/c shall be the
basis for placing them in the
appropriate learning mode:

19. a) Learners, who are not yet ready for (ILRS),
are placed in the transition program w/c will
provide a bridging curriculum focused on the
development of the learning-to-learn skills.
The program is school-based, teacher-guided,
and is self-paced. There is no definite time
period required for completing this program.
As soon as learners who are placed under the
guidance of the teacher have acquired
adequate mastery of the learning-to-learn
skills, then they can move to the next level.

20. b.) When the learners are assessed to be almost
ready for independent learning, then they may
be placed in the blended learning program when
undertaking the required curriculum. This a
combination of school-based, face-to-face
learning and distance learning or home
schooling. This means that learners may be in
school for lesson that required guided learning if
the teacher feels that learners need direct
supervision in accomplishing the task.

21. c.) Learners who are ready for the
independent learning may do the
entire curriculum on their own, or be
home-schooled, w/ the option to
seek teacher’s guidance or help from
the experts or resource person in the
community.

22. 2. Learning Contract.
 Once the learners get into the
program, they and their
parents/guardians are require to
sign a learning contract.After
they are oriented on the
mechanics and the requirements
of the curriculum including
assessment.

23. 3. Curriculum.
 The core curriculum prescribed foe these in the
formal learning system is the same curriculum that
learners in the OPEN HIGH SCHOOL will go
through, the only difference being the mode of
learning.
 Modules shall be used. These are arranged
following the phase of learning for understanding.
The tasks as contained in the learning materials
are aligned w/ the standards and are differentiated
based on the capacity of the learners.

24. 4. Working w/ Teacher-Facilitators.
 Teacher-facilitators will schedule a period of
interaction w/ learners, the frequency of w/c will
depend on need. The purpose is to ensure that
learners are making progress and assistance is
provided on a timely basis.
5. Assessments .
 Assessment are a critical component of the learning
materials. The emphasis is on formative or
developmental assessment as a quality assurance
tool.

25. For the OHSP to succeed, the following
conditions are necessary:
a) The learners must be ready for self-
directed learning.
b) The program must be owned by the school
and community.
c) A rigid monitoring and evaluation system
must be in place and so the school must be
able to keep of the learners’ progress and
apply the appropriate intervention when
necessary.