Photo by EDCOM 2.
Children who will turn five years old on or before October 31 may now be qualified to enroll for Kindergarten with the new guidelines from the Department of Education (DepEd).
The new policy extends the previous cut-off date of August 31, which has constrained parents from placing their children in higher levels that suit them better.
Education Secretary Juan “Sonny” Angara stressed how more Filipino children will now have the chance to enter Kindergarten as DepEd’s new admission policy is slated to roll out this school year 2025-2026.
“This policy is rooted in our understanding that every child grows and learns at their own pace,” said Angara in a press release.
“By allowing more flexibility in the Kindergarten age requirement, we are making sure that each learner has the opportunity to start strong and succeed from day one.”
The change was formalized via DepEd Order 15 series of 2025 thus amending the Omnibus Policy on Kindergarten Education.
Meanwhile, the policy now allows for conditional admission for children turning five between November 1 and December 31, only if they provide a one-year Early Childhood Development (ECD) program from a certified center, or pass an ECD readiness checklist upon enrollment.
DepEd said that private schools are also covered by the directive yet carry the leeway to conduct further readiness assessments as part of their own screening process.
Back in 2024, over 1.8 million Kindergarten learners enrolled across the country out of 26.4 million learners.
Public school enrollment for the 2025-2026 school year runs from June 9 to 13, during which DepEd anticipates a higher turnout.
