MANILA, Philippines - A child-welfare group yesterday urged the Department of Education (DepEd) to strictly implement the “no collection policy” on enrollment in public elementary and high schools this coming school year.
Akap Bata launched its project dubbed “E-MONITOR 2012” to receive complaints and reports from parents, guardians and concerned citizens against school administrators or personnel who will collect fees this coming school year.
Akap Bata national secretary-general Arlene Brosas said the public may send their complaints through its hotline (02) 437-6831 or email partylistakapbata@yahoo.com, Facebook account Akap Bata Party-List and twitter account @akap_bata_party.
Brosas said they will also monitor the initial implementation of the K+12 program this June.
School year 2012-2013 will start on June 4 and end on March 22, 2013 for students in public elementary and high schools, the DepEd earlier announced.
“We are calling on parents and guardians of enrolling students in public elementary and high schools this year not to hesitate to contact us for complaints and reports concerning collection of any fees required for enrollment of their children this school year,” Brosas said.
“Rest assured that identity of our callers will remain confidential,” she added.
Brosas said that they will closely coordinate with Education Secretary Armin Luistro for swift action on all reported complaints and concerns.
“As education remains one of the basic rights of every Filipino child, financial constraints must not be an obstacle for young Filipinos to be denied access of free, accessible and quality education,” Brosas stressed.
“Our government must ensure that the ‘no collection policy’ will be strictly implemented especially since enrollment is ongoing in various public schools nationwide and that issue of fees as requirement for enrollment must be eliminated in order to ease the problem of the growing number of out-of-school children,” she added.
Akap Bata said DepEd has issued several memoranda stating that “no fees shall be collected from school children enrolling in pre-school up to Grade 4 during the enrollment period and at any time during the school year.”
“For grade and year levels beyond Grade 4, no collection of any type should be undertaken during the enrollment period and the first months of classes. Starting on the second month of every school year, contributions may be collected, but only on a voluntary basis,” DepEd said.
The fees include Boy Scout of the Philippines (P50), Girl Scout of the Philippines (P50), Anti-TB Fund Drive (P5), parents-teachers association (to be determined by Board of Directors), school publications (P60 for elementary and P90 for secondary students), and membership in organizations (based on existing school policies). – With Rainier Allan Ronda