Section 3Sec./Art. 3

Definition of Terms. - As used in this Act:

(a) Basic Education refers to that part of the educational system intended to meet basic learning needs and provides the foundation on which subsequent learning can be based. It encompasses kindergarten, elementary and secondary education as well as alternative learning systems for out-of-school youth and those with special needs;

(b) Higher Education refers to post-secondary education offered usually by universities, colleges, academies, or professional/technical institutions with programs leading to academic degrees at the baccalaureate level and academic degrees, diplomas or certificates at the post-baccalaureate levels;

(c) Qualification refers to a formal certification that a person has successfully achieved specific learning outcomes relevant to the identified academic, industry or community requirements. A qualification confers official recognition of value in the labor market and in further education and training;

(d) Technical Vocational Education and Training refers to the education involving the study of technology-related sciences, in addition to general education, as well as the acquisition of practical skills relating to occupations in various sectors of economic life and social life, and which comprises formal (organized programs as part of the school system) and non-formal (organized classes outside the school system) approaches; and

(e) Trifocalized Education and Training refers to the shared administration of the education system by the three (3) agencies responsible for each education level: the Department of Education (DepED) for basic education; the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) for technical-vocational education and training; and the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) for higher education.