MANILA, Philippines - Public elementary and high school officials were reminded over the weekend to enforce the no-collection policy for the students’ Christmas party.
Education (DepEd) Secretary Armin Luistro said contributions should be voluntary.
Luistro urged schools to keep the celebration simple yet meaningful.
He said while the Parents-Teachers Associations (PTA) may be authorized to collect financial contributions to implement programs and projects that benefit students, the fees should be voluntary and agreed upon by the members in a general assembly.
Luistro urged PTA officials to minimize the amount of contributions in consideration of the many expenses that parents incur in sending their children to school.
Christmas break in public schools starts on Dec. 20.
Classes will resume on Jan. 5.