Kindergarten entrant age is no small matter

their children. The parents should be given the choice to send their children to private schools who offer early childhood learning such as pre-nursery, nursery, and preschool. Naturally, when these children started childhood learning early in the private school system, they expect to be younger at least by a few months than their counterparts in the public school system which starts formally at kindergarten. Thus, the DepEd cannot impose strictly the age requirement of 5 years by June until August 30 to all incoming kindergarten students in both public and private school system simply because their respective curriculums are different from each other.

The child- rearing right of the parents vis- à- vis the system of public basic education is recognized under the 1987 Constitution, which provides,“The State shall establish and maintain, a system of free public education in the elementary and high school levels. Without limiting the natural rights of parents to rear their children, elementary education is compulsory for all children of school age.”

I sent an appeal letter to Education Secretary Leonor Brioneslast week. I hope the DepEd reconsiders its policy as provided in DM-CI-2017-00454 signed by Usec Lorna Dino soon, for - nities in the private education sector and most especially the learners and their parents who are bound to suffer undue burden and costs if the current enrollment of their children in the Kindergarten would be deemed merely a saling pusa.