Thursday, May 24, 2007 Bing promises free enrolment anew By Gil Alfredo B. Severino
MAYOR Evelio Leonardia clarified in a press conference Wednesday that the city shouldered P6.2M for miscellaneous fees last school year as a campaign promise.
The clarification was issued amid complaints of confusion from parents regarding various fees charged in public schools,
On the one hand, Mayor Leonardia stressed that parents can bring their children to school without spending a single centavo upon enrollment and on the other hand, there should already be no excuse for young people not to be in school.
Acting Schools Division Superintendent Luisito Escalona, meanwhile, elaborated details in Wednesday’s press conference, saying, “last school year, city budget of around P6.2 million shouldered 88,011 students’ miscellaneous fees -- P45 scouting fees, P10 Red Cross, P5 anti-TB and P10 school ID.”
Escalona added that the voluntary Parents Teachers Association (PTA) fees are charged three months later (September to October), after proper consultation and upon majority approval of parents.
Escalona also stressed, “PTA fees are voluntary or may be paid in various schemes affordable to parents or some parents may volunteer their labor in exchange for paying the fees.
DepEd must be consulted for other projects that may be charged to parents.”
Escalona projected a 3.2 percent rise in enrollment this school year, which is about 90,827 students consequently increasing the city’s ssubsidy to around P6.4 Million.
