Section 2Sec./Art. 2

Policies and Principles. - Consistent with the basic state policy on education, the Regional Government shall adopt the following educational policies and principles:

(a)Perpetuation of Filipino and Islamic values. The regional educational subsystem shall perpetuate Filipino and Islamic values and ideals, aspirations, and orientations. It shall develop the total spiritual, intellectual, social, cultural, scientific, and physical aspects of the people of the autonomous region to make them god-fearing, productive, patriotic citizens, and conscious of their Filipino and Islamic values and cultural heritage;

(b)Inculcation of values of peaceful settlement of disputes. The regional educational subsystem shall prioritize the inculcation among the citizenry and students of their commitment to the peaceful settlement of disputes and grievances and the avoidance of the use of lawless violence. To this end, emphasis shall be placed on the desirability and practicality of relying upon democratic and legal processes rather than on the use of guns or resort to violence to settle personal, familial, or tribal problems. The Regional Assembly may, by law, establish a program for the surrender of firearms with payment of compensation provided by the Regional Government. The program may also be supported from the funds of the Philippine National Police.

(c)Optional religious instruction. Religious instruction in public schools shall be optional, with the written consent of the parent or guardian, and taught by the authorities of the religion to which the student belongs. The teaching of religion shall not involve additional costs to the government in accordance with national policies;

(d)Inculcation of patriotism and nationalism. To develop, promote, and enhance unity in diversity, all schools in the autonomous region shall inculcate into the minds of their students the values of patriotism and nationalism, appreciation of the role of national and regional heroes in the historical development of the country and region, foster love of humanity, respect for human rights, and teach the rights and duties of citizenship, and the cultures of the Muslims, Christians, and tribal peoples in the region;

(e)Vocational and special education. The thrusts, programs, and administration of vocational, non-formal, and special education shall be supported and made relevant to the manpower needs of the region;

(f)Scholarships, student loans and scholarships. A system of scholarship programs, grants, student loans, subsidies, and other incentives shall be made available to all poor but deserving students;

(g)Funding for local education programs. Funding for local educational programs shall be the responsibility of the Regional Government;

(h)Community participation in education. The active participation of the home, community, religious organizations, and other sectors in the total educative process of the child shall be encouraged and supported;

(i)Development of regional language. A regional language may be evolved and developed from the different dialects in the region;

(j)Media of instruction in schools. Filipino and English shall be the media of instruction in all schools in the autonomous region. Arabic shall be an auxiliary medium of instruction;

(k)Teaching of Arabic as subject. Arabic shall be taught as a subject in all grade levels as required for Muslims under existing laws and optional, for non-Muslims;

(l)Auxiliary official languages. Regional languages may be used as auxiliary official languages in the region as well as auxiliary media of instruction and communication;

(m)Develop ethnic identity. Education in the autonomous region shall develop consciousness and appreciation of one's ethnic identity and shall provide a better understanding of another person's cultural heritage for the attainment of national unity and harmony;

(n)The Regional Government shall recognize the participation of private institutions of learning, including the Madaris (Arabic schools), in providing quality education to the people of the region; and

(1)Basic education structure. The elementary level shall follow the basic national structure and shall provide basic education, the secondary level will correspond to four (4) years of high school, and the tertiary level shall be one year to three (3) years for non-degree courses and four (4) to eight (8) years for degree courses, as the case may be, in accordance with existing laws.

(2)Social studies subjects contents. Filipino and Islamic values shall be incorporated in the social studies subjects or their equivalent in appropriate grade levels and subject to agreed norms, academic freedom, and legal limitations. These values shall be taught also as a part of appropriate subjects in the secondary and tertiary levels of education.

(3)Textbook preparation, writing, revision and printing. The preparation, writing, revision, and printing of textbooks for the use of the schools in the autonomous region shall be the joint responsibility of the Regional Government and the central government or national government. Subject to agreed norms, academic freedom, and relevant legal limits, the preparation, writing, revision, and printing of the textbooks shall emphasize Filipino and Islamic values. The said values shall include those of Muslims, Christians, and indigenous peoples, human rights, modern sciences and technology, as well as, the latest advances in education that are relevant to the ideals of the autonomous region and to the Republic.

(4)Accreditation for transfer to other schools. After they shall have passed the core curriculum prescribed by the central government or national government, the students and graduates of the education system of the autonomous region shall be fully accredited for transfer to the corresponding grade levels in the schools outside the autonomous region.

(5)Period for integration of Islamic values. The integration of Islamic values in the curriculum of the regional educational subsystem shall be done over a period of six (6) years from the approval of this Organic Act after appropriate researches and studies shall have been conducted, evaluated, and approved by the regional education authorities.

(6)Primary responsibility for learning aids and instructional materials. The Regional Government shall have the primary responsibility to provide learning aids and instructional materials to the schools in the autonomous region in addition to those already prescribed by the central government or national government.

(7)Responsibility for selection, recruitment, appointment, promotion, and civil service protection of teachers and non-teaching personnel,

(a)The selection, recruitment, appointment, and promotion of teaching and non-teaching personnel of the regional educational subsystem shall be the responsibility of the Regional Government. The teaching and non-teaching personnel of the regional educational subsystem who have appropriate civil service eligibility may not be replaced, removed, or dismissed without just cause.

(b)The Regional Government may impose its regionally defined standards for the employment of teaching and non-teaching personnel in its school system which, however, shall not be lower than the standards of the Department of Education, Culture and Sports.

(c)In the selection, recruitment, appointment, and promotion of elementary, secondary, and tertiary education teaching and non-teaching personnel, the minimum requirements and standards prescribed by the Department of Education, Culture and Sports, the Commission on Higher Education, and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority shall be observed by the regional educational subsystem.

(8)Preservation of culture, mores, customs, and traditions. The culture, mores, customs, and traditions of the Muslim people and those of the Christians and indigenous people, shall be preserved, respected, enhanced, and developed.

(9)Schools to preserve, enhance, and develop cultures, mores, customs, and traditions. The regular public and Madaris schools in the autonomous region shall be the primary vehicles for the preservation, enhancement, and development of the said cultures, mores, customs, and traditions.