From policy to practice: Why school governance councils matter in Philippine education reform

The beginning of a new school year is the perfect time to remind everyone – teachers, parents, students, community members, and government officials alike – of their crucial role in shaping the direction of our schools. It’s a reminder that education is not the sole responsibility of educators, but a shared public mission.

At the heart of this shared responsibility are the School Governance Councils (SGCs) –a Filipino innovation in participatory school governance. What makes these SGCs remarkable is not just their design, but their official recognition as part of national policy through the Department of Education (DepEd) Order No. 26, s. 2022. This directive mandates the establishment of SGCs in all public schools and elevates stakeholder participation from a desirable extra to a governance requirement. What is even more commendable is DepEd’s deliberate effort to go beyond policy issuance and ask the hard question: Are the SGCs truly functional?

Institutionalizing participation: The promise of SGCs

SGCs bring together parents, students, teachers, non-teaching staff, and other community members to work as partners and collaborators in school improvement. Their creation is rooted in Republic Act 9155 or the Governance of Basic Education Act of 2001, which laid the foundation for school-based management in the country. But it was only in recent years, especially through DepEd Order No. 26, that these councils were formalized as mandatory mechanisms for participatory governance in schools.

SGCs are more than symbolic gestures of inclusion. They are institutionalized venues where community voices are heard, resources are monitored, and policies and their implementation are discussed. They promote transparency in how schools operate, demand accountability in the use of funds and performance targets, and empower stakeholders to take an active role in shaping education outcomes. As DepEd aspires to decentralize, effective SGCs also become critical success factors as they bridge national education goals with local realities, provide checks and balances to school authorities, and ensure that school decisions are grounded in the lived experiences and contributions of the communities they serve.

Measuring functionality: From form to substance

Recognizing that issuing policy alone does not ensure proper compliance, DepEd undertook an important move: a nationwide assessment of SGC functionality from 2022 (baseline) to 2024 (endline). Nearly 10,000 secondary schools were assessed using 12 indicators—covering both the internal structure of the SGC and its performance as a feedback mechanism for school improvement. The results reveal a mixed but promising landscape.

Almost all public secondary schools across the country have reported establishing their School Governance Councils (SGCs), with over 60% of these formed in compliance with the 2022 DepEd policy directive. According to endline data, nearly half of these SGCs—specifically those in 4,649 schools—are classified as functional. However, significant work remains to be done for the other half, particularly the one-fifth (1,867 schools) whose SGCs scored zero on the functionality indicators. These are councils that exist only on paper, lacking real engagement or activity. On the positive side, the functional SGCs stand out for their strong leadership, active stakeholder participation, and a clear grasp of their roles and responsibilities. Note though that the SGCs are weakest in terms of their ability to engage local governments.

The assessment also showed variation across regions. Central Luzon reported the highest number of functional SGCs, while urban areas particularly the National Capital Region lagged behind. These disparities highlight the need for context-sensitive support, sustained capacity-building, and deeper efforts to initiate participation, especially in large or complex school systems.

A national picture of local engagement

Through this large-scale assessment, DepEd has produced rare evidence of how policy translates into practice at the grassroots level. The findings demonstrate that community involvement in school governance is not just an ideal, but a reality being shaped by thousands of everyday interactions in local public schools. Where SGCs work, they champion and advance inclusive planning, transparent budgeting, and collaborative problem-solving.

Importantly, these results are not only informative for DepEd policymakers; they are also empowering for school community stakeholders. When parents and local leaders see that their engagement is recognized and measured, it affirms that their contributions matter. It reinforces the message that schools are not isolated silos but community institutions that thrive through participation.

From functionality to impact: What comes next?

DepEd’s next challenge is to move from assessing functionality to understanding performance and impact. Do functional SGCs lead to more responsive school policies, improved resource management, a more conducive learning environment, and better learning outcomes for students? Are communities more invested in education when they have a formal seat and recognized voting rights at the decision-making table?

Answering these questions will require more than metrics. It will require listening to stakeholders, tracking long-term outcomes, and embracing a culture of continuous improvement. As education reform expert Michael Fullan once said, "Change is a journey, not a blueprint." Policies and structures matter, but what makes them meaningful is how they are used and whether they foster trust, agency, and real results.

Reimagining governance through participation

As the school year begins, it’s worth recognizing that the real backbone of our education system is not just teachers or curricula, but the relationships among people who care about children’s futures. SGCs are one of the most promising ways we have institutionalized those relationships. By linking policy with practice, and structure with spirit, they help reimagine what school governance can be: transparent, accountable, and truly participatory.