Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress assembled:

SECTION 1. There is hereby created a Board of National Education which shall formulate, implement and enforce general educational objectives and policies, coordinate the offerings, activities and functions of all educational institutions in the country with a view to accomplishing an integrated, nationalistic and democracy-inspired educational system in the Philippines.

SEC. 2. The Board of National Education shall be composed of fifteen members as follows:

1. The Secretary of Education
   
2. Chairman of the Committee on Education in the Senate
   
3. The Chairman of the Committee on Education in the House of Representatives
   
4. The Director of Public Schools
   
5. The Director of Private Schools
   
6. The President of the University of the Philippines
   
7. The Chairman of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization's National Commission of the Philippines
   
8. Eight other members who shall be appointed by the President of the Philippines, with the consent of the Commission on Appointments, one from each of the following groups or organizations:
   
   
   
   1. Labor
      
   2. Industry or Management
      
   3. Agriculture
      
   4. National Catholic Educational Association
      
   5. Mohammedan or other cultural minority
      
   6. Philippine Association of Christian Schools
      
   7. Philippine Association of Colleges and Universities
      
   8. Teaching profession
      

These eight members shall serve for a period of four years: Provided, That, in the first appointment, two members shall be appointed for one year, two for two years, two for three years, and two for four years.

SEC. 3. The Secretary of Education or, in his absence, the Undersecretary of Education shall act as Chairman of the Board. The Chairman and members of the Board shall serve in an honorary capacity and shall receive no compensation or remuneration for their services as such, except that they shall be paid travelling expenses to and from meetings of the Board that they attend.

SEC. 4. The Board shall have the following powers and functions:

1. To formulate the objectives and basic policies of education for children and adults in conformity with the philosophy and mandates of the Constitution.
   
2. To coordinate the objectives, functions and activities of different types and kinds of educational institutions in the Philippines.
   
3. To set up general goals of accomplishments for the entire Philippine school system, the attainment of which shall be the objective of the policies and functions of a" educational institutions in the country.
   

SEC. 5. It shall be the exclusive agency of the Government for the implementation of educational policies and the direction of the educational interests of the nation, subject only to the constitutional authority of the President of the Republic over executive departments, bureaus and offices.

SEC. 6. The Chairman of the Board shall have the following duties and functions:

1. To call meetings of the Board and preside over them.
   
2. To execute or implement decisions of the Board, and to see to it that the educational policies approved by the Board are duly complied with and followed by all schools.
   
3. To perform all duties heretofore prescribed by law for the highest education officials of the land that are not inconsistent with the provisions of this Act.
   
4. To perform such other duties as may be assigned by the Board.
   

SEC. 7. The Board shall appoint its Secretary and may request for the detail in its office of such personnel as it may need from the Department of Education or any Bureau or Office under it.

SEC. 8. All acts, executive orders, administrative circulars or regulations inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed.

SEC. 9. The sum of one hundred thousand pesos, or so much thereof as may be necessary to carry out the purposes of this Act, is hereby authorized to be appropriated out of any funds in the National Treasury not otherwise appropriated.

SEC. 10. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

Approved, June 16, 1954.