PH Senate approves bill on vouchers to ease overcrowding in public schools

The Senate on Monday approved on third and final reading a measure aimed at easing overcrowding in public schools, widening access to education, and strengthening safeguards against corruption through a unified voucher system for basic education.

Sen. Bam Aquino, author and sponsor of Senate Bill No. 1981 or the Basic Education Voucher Program Act, said the proposal seeks to address classroom shortages across the country by providing students with vouchers that will enable them to transfer to participating private schools.

“The aim of this bill is to reduce overcrowding in public schools through private education vouchers,” he said.

Aquino cited data from Second Congressional Commission on Education indicating a shortage of at least 165,000 classrooms nationwide, with many schools facing overcrowding, shifting schedules, and unsafe learning environments.

“This is an important step toward addressing the crisis in our education system… Let us ensure that no child is left behind in our country,” he said.

The proposed measure will establish a nationwide voucher program covering all levels of basic education, from Kindergarten to Grade 12, allowing students from congested public schools to enroll in participating private institutions.

Priority beneficiaries will include learners from low-income households, families under the government’s conditional cash transfer program, those in Geographically Isolated and Disadvantaged Areas (GIDAs), Indigenous Peoples, students with disabilities, and children under foster care.

“This program is important because it directly helps families… especially students who need Special Education (SPED),” Aquino said.

The bill also introduces safeguards to prevent fraud and abuse, including penalties for violations and measures to eliminate ghost beneficiaries.

“We will ensure that there are no more ghost students and no one can take advantage of the system… what our students need is education, not corruption,” he stressed.

The measure forms part of a broader effort to address challenges in the education sector by complementing classroom construction initiatives and strengthening the role of private schools.