DepEd revises guidelines in selection of honor students

MANILA, Sept. 20 (PNA) -- The Department of Education (DepEd) has revised its guidelines in the selection of honor pupils and students in public elementary and secondary schools, respectively, for the current school year which is scheduled to end in late March 2010.

The guidelines, contained in DepEd Order No. 92, series of 2009, and issued recently by Education Secretary Jesli A. Lapus, stipulate that candidates for honors at any elementary grade or high school year level shall be chosen from among the top 10 pupils or students of the school.

They must not have a final rating lower than 80 percent in any subject or learning area, the DepEd said.

The guidelines mandate that the top 10 pupils/students, who must be of good moral conduct, shall be determined through ranking using the 7-3 point system where 7 points represent academic performance and 3 points co-curricular activities.

In the ranking of honors for graduating elementary pupils and high school students, only the grades in the current curriculum year shall be included, thereby disregarding their ratings in the previous curriculum levels.

The guidelines also provide that transferees shall be considered in the ranking of honor children provided they were enrolled in the school not later than the second week of classes in school year 2009-2010.

The final rating shall be computed to the three decimal places, the guidelines said, adding that in case of tie, both candidates shall be declared in the same honor ranking, say, both as valedictorians, salutatorians, first honorable mentions and so on.

The rules further gave recognition to achievements of pupils/students in specific academic discipline such as Mathematics, Science and English or in co-curricular areas including athletics, campus journalism and performing arts.

Duly recognized annexes of public elementary and secondary schools with complete curriculum grades or year levels have now been allowed by the education department to choose their own set of honor school children.

The DepEd named the school principal as chairman of the School Selection Committee (with three qualified teachers as members) which it required to officially announce the selected honor pupils/students not later than 15 days before the school's graduation day.

In case of protest, the DepEd required the aggrieved candidate with his or her parents to file the complaint to the school head within five working days from the formal announcement.