DepEd Guidelines in the Development of Learners’

Discipline Manual
The Department of Education (DepEd) – CAR issues the enclosed Basic Guidelines in the
Development of Learners’ Discipline Manual which shall serve as the basis of all public and
private schools in crafting or developing or amending their Learners’ Discipline Manual,
Anti-Bullying Policy, and Child Protection Policy.

This policy, which is based from different DepEd issuances, provides the minimum standards
that shall be included in the above mentioned policies and manual.

All regional policies, processes or systems related to learners’ discipline that are inconsistent
to this Regional Order are hereby repealed, rescinded, or modified accordingly.

Basic Guidelines in the Development of Learners’

Discipline Manual

I. BACKGROUND
Every school shall maintain discipline inside the school campus as well as outside the school
premises when learners are engaged in activities authorized by the school. The School
Head shall have authority, accountability and responsibility for creating an environment
within the school that is conducive to teaching and learning. Teachers shall be deemed
persons in authority when in the discharge of lawful duties and responsibilities, and shall,
therefore, be accorded due respect and protection. Therefore, the school shall impose
appropriate and reasonable disciplinary measures in case of offenses or infractions of good
discipline.

These guidelines shall be included in the Child Protection and Anti-Bullying Policy of the
school, and Learner’s Discipline Manual/Code of Conduct.

To aid in the creation of the Learner’s Discipline Manual, the following Rights and
Responsibilities, and Obligations of the Learners as outlined in Batas Pambansa Bilang
232 and DepEd Order No. 40, s. 2012 must be emphasized:

A. Batas Pambansa Bilang 232

Section 9. Right of Students in School – In addition to other rights, and subject to the
limitation presented by law and regulations, and student and pupils in all schools shall enjoy
the following rights:

1. The right to receive, primarily through competent instruction, relevant quality

education in line with national goals and conducive to their full development as
person with human dignity.
2. The right to school guidance and counseling services for decisions and selecting the
alternatives in fields of work suited to his potentialities.
3. The right of access to his own school records, the confidentiality of which the school
shall maintain and preserve.
4. The right to the issuance of official certificates, diplomas, transcript of records,
grades, transfer credentials and other similar documents within thirty days from
request.
5. The right to publish a student newspaper and similar publications, as well as the right
to invite resource persons during assemblies, symposia and other activities of similar
nature.
6. The right to free expression of opinions and suggestions, and to effective channels of
communication with appropriate academic channels and administrative bodies of the
school or institution.
7. The right to form, establish, join and participate in organizations and societies
recognized by the school to foster their intellectual, cultural, spiritual and physical
growth and development, or to form, establish, join and maintain organizations and
societies for purposes not contrary to law.
8. The right to be free from involuntary contributions, except those approved by their
own organizations or societies.
CHAPTER 3

Duties and Obligations

Section 15. Duties and Responsibilities of Students – in addition to those provided for
under existing laws, every student shall:

1. Exert his utmost to develop his potentialities for service, particularly by undergoing
an education suited to his abilities, in order that he may become an asset to his
family and to society.
2. Uphold the academic integrity of the school, endeavor to achieve academic
excellence and abide by the rules and regulations governing his academic
responsibilities and moral integrity.
 3. Promote and maintain the peace and tranquility of the school by observing the rules
and discipline, and by exerting efforts to attain harmonious relationships with fellow
students, the teaching and academic staff and other school personnel. 4
4. Participate actively in civic affairs and in the promotion of the general welfare,
particularly in the social, economic and cultural development of his community and
in the attainment of a just, compassionate and orderly society.
5. Exercise his rights responsibly in the knowledge that he is answerable for any
infringement or violation of the public welfare and of the rights of others.
B. DepEd Order No. 40, s. 2012

Section 9. Duties and Responsibilities of Pupils, Students and Learners

Pupils, students and learners shall have the following duties and responsibilities:

A. Comply with the school’s regulations, as long as they are in harmony with their best
interests. Pupils, students and learners shall refrain from:

i. Engaging in discrimination, or leading a group of pupils or students to discriminate

another, with reference to one’s physical appearance, weaknesses and status of any sort;

ii. Doing any act that is inappropriate or sexually provocative;

iii. Participating in behavior of other students that is illegal, unsafe or abusive;

iv. Marking or damaging school property, including books, in any way;

v. Engaging in fights or any aggressive behavior;

vi. Introducing into the school premises or otherwise possessing prohibited articles, such as
deadly weapons, drugs, alcohol, toxic and noxious substances, cigarettes and pornographic
material; and

vii. Performing other similar acts that cause damage or injury to another.

An allegation that any of these acts has been committed shall not be used to curtail the
child’s basic rights, or interpreted to defeat the objectives of this Department Order.

B. Conduct themselves in accordance with their levels of development, maturity, and

demonstrated capabilities, with a proper regard for the rights and welfare of other persons;
C. Respect another person’s rights regardless of opinion, status, gender, ethnicity, religion,
as well as everyone’s moral and physical integrity; and

D. Observe the Code of Conduct for pupils, students and learners.

II. NON-DISCIPLINARY CASES

A. Attendance; Uniform & I.D.; Haircut

1. Public Elementary and Secondary Schools:

a. The following guidelines in attendance and punctuality as stated in the Paragraph

1.2, Section 1, Chapter III, Part IV of 2000 DECS Service Manual shall be observed.

i. Regularity of attendance and punctuality are required in all classes. A student who has
been absent or has cut classes is required to present a letter of explanation from his/her
parents or guardians or to bring them to school for a short conference with the section
adviser or guidance counselor as the case may be.

ii. Attendance of students in special holidays, activities relative to their religions shall be
allowed provided permission of the school head is sought.

iii. Habitual tardiness especially during the first period in the morning and in the afternoon
shall not be allowed. Teachers concerned shall call for the parents of the student concerned
or visit him/her at home.

b. Pursuant to DepEd Order No. 45 s. 2008 and DepEd Order No. 46 s. 2008, wearing
of school uniform is not mandatory:

To increase school participation of all school-aged children, it is important to remove any

and all obstacles, particularly financial, to their enrolment in public schools. Accordingly, the
President has ordered the following:

i. The wearing of a school uniform shall not be required in public schools.

ii. Identification (ID) cards shall be provided to students at no cost to them.

The school administration shall fund these from their MOOE.

While the general policy is that the wearing of a school uniform shall not be required in
public schools (as embodied in DepEd Order No. 45 s. 2008), it is necessary to provide
guidance on what constitutes proper school attire. The following principles should serve as
a guide:

i. A student’s basic right to go to school, study and learn is of paramount importance and
should be respected and promoted at all times.

ii. A student’s attire should reflect respect for the school as an institution for learning.

iii. A student’s attire should not become a cause for discrimination particularly for students
belonging to a lower socio-economic status.

iv. Promoting physical hygiene and proper school decorum is part of the teaching- learning
process in schools, thus a student’s attire and physical appearance should manifest
learnings from this process.

Given the above principles, the suggested attire for elementary and secondary learners may
be:

For Male Learners

 Polo shirt/T-shirt with sleeves – any plain color, with a minimum prints
 Pants (long or short) – any color
 Footwear – any
For Female Learners

 Dress, skirt and blouse, blouse and pants – any color, print
 Footwear-any
Learners with existing uniforms may continue using these uniforms, if they so desire, in
order to avoid incurring additional costs for new attire.

Learners are discouraged from wearing expensive (signature or designer brands) or flashy
clothes, tight-fitting pants/blouses/dresses, mini-skirts, short shorts, blouses with plunging
necklines, hip-hop pants for boys, and sleepwear.

A learner who violates the above guidelines is required to present a letter of explanation
from his/her parents or guardians or to bring them to school for a short conference with the
section adviser or guidance counselor as the case may be.
c. Suggested haircut for boys: at least 1 inch above the ear and 3 inches above the
collar line.

A learner who is not in proper haircut is required to present a letter of explanation from
his/her parents or guardians or to bring them to school for a short conference with the
section adviser or guidance counselor as the case may be.

2. Private Schools:

a. Pursuant to DepEd Order No. 88 s. 2018, the following are the guidelines:

Section 133. Absences. A pupil or student in every private school who incurs absences of
more than twenty (20%) percent of the prescribed number of class or laboratory periods
during the school year or term should be given a failing grade and given no credit for the
course or subject. However, the school may adopt an attendance policy to govern absences
of its pupils or students who belong to the upper half of their respective classes.

Section 157. Attendance and Punctuality. Regularity of attendance and punctuality are

required in all classes. A pupil/student who has been absent or has cut classes is required to
present a letter of explanation from his/her parents or guardian or to bring them to school
for a short conference with the section adviser or guidance counselor as the case may be.

Attendance of pupils/students in special holidays, activities relative to their religious, e.g.

Ramadan, shall be allowed provided permission of the school head is sought.

157.1 Absences. A pupil/student who incurs absences of more than twenty percent of the
prescribed number of class or laboratory periods during the school year or term should be
given a failing grade and given no credit for the course or subject Furthermore, the school
head may at his/her discretion and in the individual case exempt a student who exceeds the
twenty percent limit for reasons considered valid and acceptable to the school. Such
discretion shall not excuse the student concerned from responsibility in keeping up with
lesson assignments and taking examinations where indicated. The discretionary authority is
vested in the school head, and may not be availed of by a student nor granted by a faculty
member without the consent of the school head.

Habitual tardiness especially during the first period in the morning and in the afternoon
shall not be allowed. Teachers concerned shall call for the parents of the student concerned
or visit him at home.
157.2 School Uniform. A school uniform shall be prescribed for all pupils/students. Shoes
are considered part of the uniform.

All students shall be required to wear the official school in the school campus.

The acceptable haircut for boys shall be at least one (1) inch above the ear and three (3)
inches above the collar line.

B. Violations on attendance, punctuality, uniform and ID, and haircut are

not subject to administrative discipline warranting penalty/ies.

III. DISCIPLINARY CASES

Considering the foregoing, the following are the infractions or violations of the learners that
may be subjected to interventions and penalties as warranted:

1. Cheating/dishonesty
2. Stealing
3. Assaulting a teacher, or any other school authority or his agents, or other learner/s
4. Smoking inside the school premises and bringing tobacco products, vapes, etc.
5. Vandalism – writing on or destroying school property like chairs, tables, windows,
books, laboratory equipment and others
6. Gambling of any sort
7. Drinking intoxicants and liquor or entering the school premises under the influence
of liquor, or bringing of alcoholic beverages
8. Carrying and concealing deadly weapons or instruments
9. Extortion or asking money or in kind from others
10. Fighting, causing injury to others
11. Hazing in any form or manner whether inside or outside the school premises
12. Sexual abuse, immorality, illicit relationships
13. Instigating, leading or participating in concerned activities leading to stoppage of
classes
14. Preventing, threatening learners or faculty members or school authorities from
discharging their duties or from attending classes or entering school premises
15. Forging or tampering with school records or transfer forms
16. Patronizing suspected prostitution den, gambling and pornographic places
17. Bringing, using and selling of pornographic materials
18. Selling stolen goods in school
19. Absenteeism, cutting of classes, and tardiness
 20. Uttering (plastic cups, bottles, candy wrappers or any waste) inside the school
campus specially inside the classroom and corridors
21. Loitering and staying inside or outside the school campus during class hour
22. Bringing in and using gadgets like cellular phones, i-pad, psp, etc. inside the school
campus (R.M. No. 207 s 2018)
23. Unruly behavior inside the classroom or school premises, during assemblies, school
activities, etc.
24. Uttering profanities/swearwords inside the school campus
25. Going to restricted places
26. Tampering of school ID such as placing stickers and other objects on school ID,
27. Not giving letter to parents
28. Drug dependency or drug use, possession, and sale of prohibited drugs such as
marijuana, ecstasy, shabu, etc. (it shall be subject to the Guidelines prescribed by DO
40 s. 2012 entitled Guidelines for the Conduct of Random Drug Testing in Public and
Private Secondary Schools, and RA 9165 and its IRR)
29. Joining fraternities, sororities, and gangs;
30. Bullying acts – physical, emotional, mental and cyber-bullying (Bullying cases or
offenses shall be handled in accordance with Republic Act 10627 and DepEd Order
No. 55, s. 2013)
31. Other analogous acts that may endanger/threaten any learner, school personnel, or
the school.
The School may add to the list above as long as it is presented and approved by the GPTA,
and the Schools Division Office subject to existing laws, rules and regulations;

The School may categorize the offenses as minor, less grave, and grave offense. In case of
doubt as to the category, it shall be the lesser offense.

IV. PENALTIES AND PROHIBITED ACTS

A. The penalty shall be commensurate to the offense committed. The following are Hie
corresponding penalties that shall be given a learner:

i. Minor Offense

 1st Offense – Reprimand with counseling with parent

 2nd Offense – Suspension of 1-2 days with counseling with parent
 3rd Offense – shall be treated as a less grave offense, thus 3 days suspension
ii. Less Grave Offense

 1st Offense – Suspension which shall not exceed three (3) days
  2nd Offense – Suspension for 4-6 days
 3rd Offense – shall be treated as a grave offense, thus 7 days
iii. Grave Offense

 1st Offense – Suspension for seven (7) days

 2nd Offense – Suspension for more than seven (7) days but not more than one (1)
year – refer to the SDS for approval
 3rd Offense – Suspension for one (1) year or more – refer it to the Secretary for
approval
 4th Offense – Expulsion – refer to the Secretary for approval
iv. Exclusion (applicable only in Private Schools and shall only be imposed for grave
offenses)

B. The following are prohibited sanctions or actions by the school:

i. Transfer as a penalty in the guise of exclusion;

ii. Manual labor detrimental to the health and safety of the learner or that demeans the
well-being of the child;

iii. Fines/ Contributions in cash or in kind;

iv. Amicable settlement as proscribed by law, roles and regulations

v. “kultap” for improper haircut

vi. Non return of confiscated items except for illegal drugs, weapons or any illegal item,
which shall be turned over to appropriate authorities;

vii. Corporal punishment;

viii. Barring entry to the school during class hours for whatever reason except when the
learner is under preventive suspension;

 A learner under investigation of a case involving the penalty of expulsion may be

preventively suspended from entering the school premises if the evidence of guilt is
strong and the school head is morally convinced that the continued stay of the pupil
or student during the period of the investigation constitutes a distraction to the
 normal operations of the school or poses a risk or danger to the life of persons and
property in the school.
ix. Sending out learners outside the classroom or school premises;

x. Demerits in grades/ deductions of scores;

xi. Deprivation in any school activity except in sports and other competitions where banning
the participant is justified under existing polices;

V. PROCEDURE
Procedure in Learner Discipline

A. The School Head shall issue a Notice in writing to the learner through the
Parent/Guardian by personal service or any other means of service within 5 three (3)
working days from date of incident/report.

B. The Answer in writing of the learner with the assistance of the parents/guardian must be
submitted within three (3) working days from receipt on Notice.

C. A Notice of Conference with parents/guardian shall be issued within three (3) working
days from receipt of Answer. The conference shall be before the School Head if it is a first
minor offense; otherwise, before the Child Protection Committee

i. The parties shall be given a chance to be heard.

ii. The conference must be recorded through a minutes of conference duly signed by all die
parties and members present.

D. The Decision in writing shall be issued within 3 working days by the School
Head/Administrator.

i. Reprimand shall be final and executory.

ii. The Decision imposing a penalty of suspension is appealable to the SDS for public
schools. For private schools, exhaust administrative remedies available within the
school/institution, and the final decision of the private school is appealable to the SDS. The
appeal must be made within fifteen (15) days from receipt of the Decision. The Decision of
the SDS is executory.
For private schools, the penalty of suspension shall not exceed 20% of the prescribed school
days of a school year. If it does, the decision shall be forwarded to the Regional Office
concerned, within ten days from the termination of the investigation of each case for its
information.

iii. The Decision imposing exclusion for private school is appealable to the SDS and higher
authorities. No prior approval of the Department is required in the imposition of the
penalty.

The decision of the school on every case involving the penalty of exclusion from the rolls,
together with all the pertinent papers therefor, shall be filed in the school for a period of
one year in order to afford the Department the opportunity to review the case in the event
an appeal is taken by the party concerned.

iv. The Decision in every case involving the penalty of expulsion, together with the
supporting papers shall be forwarded to the Regional Office concerned within ten (10) days
from the termination of the investigation of each case.

The decision imposing die penalty of expulsion must be referred to the Secretary for
approval before implementation.

v. Pending the case, the learners and parents/guardians shall undergo counseling and
appropriate interventions such as but not limited to the following: referral to the MSWD for
psycho-social support, attendance to character formation activities, community service
provided it will not disrupt class hours, etc.

VI. DEFINITION OF TERMS

For this purpose, die following shall have the corresponding definitions:

Disciplining Authority – shall refer to the Principal or School Head of the School

Learner – shall refer to female or male pupil/student duly enrolled in the school

Parent/Guardian – Parent shall refer to the mother and father identified in the Certificate of
Live Birth of the learner. Guardian1 is defined as:

i. An individual authorized by the biological parent/s whom the care and custody of the
learner has been entrusted;
ii. Relative of the learner within the 4th degree of consanguinity or affinity provided that
said relative has care and custody of the child;

iii. An individual appointed by a competent court as the legal guardian of the learner;

iv. In case of an orphan, the individual/institution who has the care and custody of the
learner.

Suspension – a penalty in which the school is allowed to deny or deprive an erring learner
of attendance in classes for a certain period.

Exclusion – a penalty in which the school is allowed to exclude or drop the name of the
erring learner from the school rolls.

Expulsion – an extreme penalty in which the erring learner is excluded from admission to
any public or private school in the Philippines which requires the prior approval of the
Secretary.

VII. GENERAL PROVISIONS

A. Paramount in the formulation of the of the Learners’ Discipline Manual is to highlight the
concept of “Positive and Non-Violent Discipline of Children.” Positive Discipline is a way of
thinking, and a holistic, constructive and proactive approach to teaching that helps children
develop appropriate thinking and behavior in the short and long-term and fosters self-
discipline. It is based on the fundamental principle that children are full human beings with
basic human rights. Positive discipline begins with setting the longterm goals or impacts
that teachers want to have on their learner’s adult lives, and using everyday situations and
challenges as opportunities to teach life-long skills and values to learners.

B. Therefore, it is emphasized that the Department has a zero tolerance policy for any act of
child abuse, exploitation, violence, discrimination, bullying and other forms of abuse.

C. All Learners’ Discipline Manuals of the public and private schools with Recognition status
shall be submitted to the Schools Division Office on or before February 28, 2019 for the
review by the Review Committee composed of the Attorney III, Division Child Protection
Coordinator, and at least one Child Protection Specialist.

D. The review committee has sixty (60) days from the submission to review and recommend
to the SDS for approval provided that all manuals must be approved before June 1, 2019 for
public schools and recognized private schools. For private schools applying for permit, the
manual shall be submitted during the application or renewal of permit for review by the
committee within sixty (60) days from receipt.

E. Only upon the approval of the Schools Division Superintendent shall the Learners’ Manual
be effective for SY 2019 – 2020 and beyond. The schools are encouraged to update their
manuals every 3 – 5 years and submit to the SDO for approval.