The Education Act of 1982: Rights of Parents and Children. Batas Pambansa Blg. 232 Also Provides For The Following Rights
The Education Act of 1982: Rights of Parents and Children. Batas Pambansa Blg. 232 Also Provides For The Following Rights
Education Act of 1982, also known as Batas Pambansa Blg. 232, provides for the establishment and
maintenance of an integrated system of education. In accordance with Section 2, this act shall apply to
and govern both formal and non-formal systems of public and private schools in all levels. The national
development goals provided by this act are as follows:
1. Achieve and maintain an accelerating rate of economic development and social progress;
2. Assure the maximum participation of all the Filipino people in the attainment and enjoyment of
the benefits such growth; and
3. Achieve and strengthen national unity and consciousness and preserve, develop, and promote
desirable cultural, moral, and spiritual values in a changing world.
Section 3 of this Law states that the State shall promote the right of every individual to relevant
quality education, regardless of sex, age, creed, socioeconomic status, physical and mental conditions,
racial or ethnic origin, and political, or other, affiliation. The State shall therefore promote and maintain
quality of access to education as well as the enjoyment of the benefits of education by all its citizens.
Rights of Parents and Children. Batas Pambansa Blg. 232 also provides for the following rights
of parents with children enrolled in a school.
1. The right to organize by themselves and/or with teachers for the purpose of providing a forum
for the discussion of matters relating to the school program, and for ensuring the full
cooperation of parents and teachers in the formulation and efficient implementation of such
programs; and
2. The right to access to any official record directly relating to children who are under their
parental responsibility.
On the other hand, children enrolled in a school shall have the following rights:
Rights of All School Personnel. Section 10 mandates the following rights of those employed by a
school:
Rights of Teaching or Academic Staff. The following rights of teaching staff are provided in
Section 11:
1. The right to be free from compulsory assignments not related to the duties defined in their
appointments or employment contracts unless compensated thereof (Additional compensation
in section 14 or r.a. 4670 should be at least 25 percent of the regular remuneration)
2. The right to intellectual property consistent with applicable laws. Intellectual property refers to
the original works of a person such as books; periodicals; lectures, sermons, and addresses;
dissertations; letters; musical compositions; works of drawing, painting; architectures, sculpture,
engraving, photography, cinematography, and lithography; maps and computer programs.
Under Section 177 of Republic Act No. 8293, the owners and/or intellectual creators of these
works are protected by law against plagiarism and/or unauthorized use, reproduction, sale, or
distribution of their works.
3. The right to lawful discharge of their duties and responsibilities with due respect and protection
4. The right to choose career alternatives for advancement.
On the other hand, schools have the following rights as provided in Section 13:
1. The right of their governing boards to adopt and enforce administrative or management systems
2. The right of institutions of higher learning to determine on academic ground who shall be
admitted to study or teach, and what shall be the subjects of study and research.
Duties and Obligations of Different Sectors. Even as Batas Pambansa Blg. 232 provides for the
rights of different groups of Filipinos, it also enumerates the duties and obligations of these groups,
especially in relation to education in the country.
Duties of Parents. As provided in Section 14, the following shall be the duties of every parent:
1. Parents, individually or collectively, through the school system, shall help carry out educational
objectives in accordance with national goals.
2. Parents shall be obliged to enable their children to obtain elementary education and shall strive
to enable them to obtain secondary and higher education in the pursuance of the right
formation of the youth.
3. Parents shall cooperate with the school in the implementation of the school program, both
curricular and co-curricular.
Duties and Responsibilities of Students. Section 15 spells out the duties and responsibilities of
every student as follows:
1. The students shall exert their utmost to develop their potentialities for service, particularly by
undergoing an educational program suited to their abilities, in order that they may become an
asset to their family and society.
2. The students shall uphold the academic integrity of the school, endeavor to achieve academic
excellence, and abide by the rules and regulations governing their academic responsibilities and
moral integrity.
3. The students shall promote and maintain the peace and tranquility of the school by observing
rules of discipline, and by exerting efforts to attain harmonious relationships with fellow
students, the teaching and academic staff, and other school personnel.
4. Students shall participate actively in civic affairs and in the promotion of the general welfare
of their respective communities – particularly in the community’s social, economic, and cultural
development and in the attainment of a just, compassionate, and orderly society.
5. The students shall exercise their rights responsible in the knowledge that they are answerable
for any infringement or violation of public welfare and of the rights of the others.
1. Discharge their responsibilities in accordance with the philosophy, goals, and objectives of the
schools.
2. Be accountable for the efficient and effective attainment of specified learning objectives in
pursuance of national development goals, within the limits of available school resources.
3. Render regular reports on the performance of each student to the latter’s parents or
guardians with specific suggestions for improvement.
4. Assume the responsibility of maintaining and sustaining their professional growth and
advancement and of maintaining professionalism in their behavior at all times.
5. Refrain from making a deduction in a student’s scholastic rating for acts of that are clearly not
manifestations of poor scholarship.
6. Participate as an agent of constructive social, economic, moral, intellectual, cultural, and
political change in their school and the community within the context of national policies.
1. Discharge their responsibilities in accordance with the philosophy, goals, and objectives of the
school.
2. Be accountable for the efficient and effective administration and management of the school.
3. Develop and maintain a healthy school atmosphere conductive to the promotion and
preservation of academic freedom and effective teaching and learning, and to harmonious and
progressive school-personnel relationship.
4. Assume and maintain professional behavior in their work and in dealing with students, teachers,
personnel, administrative staff, and parents or guardians.
5. Render adequate reports to teachers, academic performance in relation to their expected
performance and counsel them on ways of improving the same.
6. Observe due process, fairness, promptness, privacy, constructiveness, and consistency in
disciplining teachers and other personnel.
7. Maintain adequate records and submit required reports to the Department of Education,
Culture and Sports (DECS).
Duties of Academic Non-Teaching Personnel. Section 18 of Batas Pambansa Blg. 232 stipulates the
duties corresponding to the rights of academic non-teaching personnel. They are listed hereunder:
1. Improve themselves professionally by keeping abreast of the latest trends and techniques in the
profession.
2. Assume, promote, and maintain a professional attitude toward their work, students, teachers,
administrators, and administrative staff, and relate to them in a supportive and cordial
manner.
3. Promote and maintain an atmosphere conducive to service and learning.