Philippine Curriculum

The Philippine schools in Abu Dhabi follow the Philippine National Curriculum developed by the Department of Education. The schools offer four educational levels: kindergarten, elementary, junior high school, and senior high school.

In both elementary and secondary schools, students study compulsory core subjects, including languages (mother tongue for Key Stage 1, Filipino and English), Mathematics, Sciences, Araling Panlipunan (Social Studies), Music, Arts, Physical Education and Health (MAPEH), Edukasyon sa Pagpapakatao (Values Education), and Edukasyon Pantahanan at Pangkabuhayan/Technology Livelihood Education (EPP-TLE). Exploratory TLE courses are offered in Grades 7 and 8, followed by specialized TLE subjects in Grades 9 and 10.

In senior high school, students choose a specialization 'track' and 'strand' based on their skills, interests, and school provision. The subjects are divided into three groups: core, applied, and specialized. Specialized subjects are tailored to the chosen career tracks, which can include Academic, Technical-Vocational-Livelihood, Arts and Design, and Sports. The academic track further divides into strands such as General Academic Strand, Humanities and Social Sciences, Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, and Accountancy, Business and Management.

Progression

Kindergarten starts at ages 4-5.
To qualify for tertiary education, students must complete 13 years of mandatory basic schooling. Upon completion of academic and non-academic requirements in each stage, students are given certificates, such as follows: a. Kindergarten Certificate b. Elementary Certificate c. Junior High School Certificate d. Senior High School Diploma

The table below shows the academic journey that a student studying an American curriculum is expected to take

Age	Grade
3-4
4-5	Pre KG
5-6	KG
6-7	Grade 1
7-8	Grade 2
8-9	Grade 3
9-10	Grade 4
10-11	Grade 5
11-12	Grade 6
12-13	Grade 7
13-14	Grade 8
14-15	Grade 9
15-16	Grade 10
16-17	Grade 11
17-18	Grade 12

Assessments

Assessments at the kindergarten level are conducted through regular teacher observations. The Early Childhood Care Development (ECCD) checklist and other assessment forms are utilized for this purpose.
Statutory national curriculum assessments are administered at the end of the elementary and junior education phases in Grades 6 and 10, respectively. Other reliable external evaluations are administered to measure students’ learning.
In Grade 12, student achievement is measured through internal assessments as well as the Department of Education (DepEd) Basic Education Exit Assessment (BEEA). Following successful completion of academic and non-academic requirements, Grade 12 students receive a senior high school diploma.
Students in Philippine schools are also assessed through external assessments, which evaluate achievements and progress. All students in Grades 3-9 studying the curriculum must take one of the following assessments: NWEA-MAP®, GL-PT test series, ACER-IBT, or EI-ASSET in English, Mathematics, and Science.

Schools overseas are accredited and regulated by the Department of Education (DepEd) and the Inter-Agency Committee on Philippine Schools Overseas (IACPSO) through the Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO).
Inspectors from the Philippines conduct annual school inspections, using defined standards to measure the school's quality and compliance with DepEd policies. Successful schools receive a certificate and operational permit, valid for two years of operation. Consequently, a 3-year government permit certificate is issued after successful compliance with all requirements. Finally, qualified schools receive a government recognition certificate.
The Philippines Embassy may also authorize a representative to visit/monitor schools and assist with quality assurance, compliance, and accreditation.

Further Details

More details on the Philippine overseas schools are available on the website, Click Here

Find a Nursery or School