Pupils attend classes on the opening day of School Year 2026–2027 at Pandac Elementary School in Pavia, Iloilo, on Monday, June 8, 2026. —File photo by Ian Paul Cordero
MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Education (DepEd) has introduced a simplified and more flexible lesson planning framework to lessen the paperwork for public school teachers, giving them more time to focus on their students.
As part of ongoing reforms for the new school year, Education Secretary Sonny Angara has issued new guidelines on Lesson Planning and Learning Design, which replace the previous DepEd Order No. 42, series of 2016, according to a DepEd statement issued on Monday.
The new policy, the DENR explained, would eliminate the strict distinction between “Detailed Lesson Plans” and “Daily Lesson Logs.”
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“Instead, it introduces a new unified approach that emphasizes instructional thinking, learner needs, and effective classroom teaching,” the statement said.
“Our teachers’ time should not be all used writing a long lesson plan. What’s important is that the goal of the lesson is clear, the teacher is ready, and children are learning in the classroom,” Angara said in Filipino.
The revised policy introduces the ILAW Framework, which consists of four essential components: Intentions, Learning Experience, Assessing Learning, and Ways Forward.
“These components guide teachers in identifying learning goals, designing meaningful learning experiences, checking learner understanding, and determining the next steps for learner improvement, such as remediation, reteaching, or enrichment,” the DepEd statement said.
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Under the new policy, teachers and Alternative Learning System (ALS) implementers will be required to include components beyond those prescribed in the framework.
Regional and division offices, as well as individual schools and community learning centers, are also prohibited from requiring extra lesson plan templates or supplementary documentation beyond the new simplified standards.
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“We are returning our trust in our teachers. They’re the ones who know their learners more. So we should give them clear guidelines and enough space to design lessons that really respond to their classes,” Angara said.
DepEd also encourages teachers to adopt measures to further reduce their workload, such as collaborative lesson planning, resource sharing, and digitalization.
“School heads and instructional leaders are directed to shift from merely checking lesson plan submissions. Instead, they are encouraged to shift toward coaching, mentoring, and providing constructive feedback to help teachers improve their craft,” the DepEd statement said.
“The policy also supports inclusive and context-responsive instruction by requiring lesson planning to consider learner needs, including learners with disabilities, multigrade classes, ALS learners, Indigenous Peoples Education contexts, and possible learning disruptions during emergencies,” it added.
While in transition, teachers may continue using their current lesson plan formats until the end of the first term of School Year 2026–2027.
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They will get capacity building and technical assistance to prepare them for the full implementation of the revised lesson planning guidelines beginning the second term of SY 2026–2027. /atm
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