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Public
schools warned of no-collection policy
The
authorities of public elementary and high schools in the province are warned to
avoid imposing fees. Failure to comply with the Department of Education order
will be subjected to administrative sanctions.
DepEd
Order No. 19, s. 2008, implementation of no policy in all public elementary and
secondary schools was addressed to undersecretaries, assistant secretaries, bureau
directors, regional directors, schools division superintendent and heads of public
elementary and secondary schools. Sec. Jesli Lapus signed the said Order.
"There
is an urgent need to remove obstacles to the enrolment of school-age children,"
the Order specified. "These obstacles include the out-of-pocket costs which
families have to bear in the course of sending their children to school."
Among
the prohibited collection of fees included the no fee collection from school children
enrolling in pre-school up to Grade IV. It covers the "authorized but voluntary
contributions such as Boy Scout of the Philippines, Girl Scouts of the Philippines,
Red Cross, Anti-TB and PTCA."
Collection
of membership in BSP, GSP and Red Cross, and Anti-TB fund raising, PTCA, school
publication and membership of student organizations should "only be on a
voluntary basis," the Order stressed.
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The amount of contributions
to PTCA shall be agreed upon in a general assembly only after the previous school-year's
collection (report) has been presented to the members and to the school administration,
the Order indicated.
Membership
fees of school organizations set by the organization must be in accordance with
the existing school policies and the collection of school publication fees are
pegged at P60 and P90 for elementary and secondary schools, respectively.
The
school publication is not mandatory but DepEd is strongly encouraging it in line
with the journalism program. | As
this developed, Lapus directed superintendents to make funds available and to
cause the release "cash advance" of the maintenance and other operating
expenses (MOOE) funds to the schools at the start of classes on June 10.
He
also ordered regional and division offices to conduct monitoring during the enrolment
and first month of classes apparently to carry out this Order. (RVO) | 
