Tacloban City (19 November) -- The Basic Education Reform Agenda or BESRA is a package of policy actions collected under the five key reform thrusts to facilitate the implementation of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's Education for All program.

The key reform thrusts include the continuous school improvement facilitated by active involvement of stakeholders. Another key reform thrust is better learning outcomes achieved by improved teacher standards.

The third key reform thrust is desired learning outcomes enhanced by national learning strategies, multi-sector coordination and quality assurance while the fourth is improved impact on outcomes resulting from complementary Enhanced Child Education, Alternative Learning System and private sector participation.

The fifth key reform thrust is the institutional culture change in DepEd to facilitate school initiatives and assuring quality.

The overall goal of the Education For All program is to provide basic competencies to everyone to achieve Functional Literacy for all by 2015.

The objectives are universal coverage of out-of-school youths and adults in the provision of basic learning needs and the universal school participation and elimination of dropouts and repetition in Grades 1-3. The Attainment of this objective will require expansion of coverage of 3-5 year old children in ECE services.

Included in the objectives are the universal completion of the 10 years of basic education with satisfactory achievement levels by all at every grade or year; and the total community commitment to attainment of basic education competencies for all.

BESRA is funded in the amount of A$41 million grant through the Australian Agency for International Development under its Support to Philippine Basic Education Reforms Trust Fund.