Monday, May 12, 2008 Councilor warns v. enrolment fees
WITH the opening of a new school year next month, Cebu City Councilor Edgardo Labella asked the Department of Education (DepEd) to keep an eye out for any fees collected by public school officials during enrollment.
In a proposed resolution, Labella said he hopes that DepEd will ensure that DepEd Order No. 19 and City Ordinance No. 1813 are strictly enforced.
Both the order and the ordinance prohibit school officials from collecting any fees or donations from students and their parents.
Labella believes that by strictly implementing the orders, the City Government can be assured that more parents will be able to enroll their children for school year 2008-2009.
He said that parents in Cebu City are worried that with the ongoing rice crisis, enrollment expenses might increase, with some school officials collecting fees and contributions from the students.
DepEd Order 19 states that no fees shall be collected from schoolchildren enrolling in pre-school and grades one to four during enrollment period and at any time during the school year.
It also prohibits the collection of any fees from grades five and six students during enrollment period and the first month of the school year.
Red Cross
Labella said there have been reports that some public schools in the city continue to collect fees from students and their parents.
Contributions for membership in scouting, Philippine National Red Cross, Anti-TB Fund drive and the Parents, Teachers and Community Association (PTCA) are accepted, provided that the donation is voluntary.
The collection of the contribution may only be done on the second month of the school year.
Also, the PTCA is not allowed to collect fees until it has presented to the parents and to the school administrators a report on how it spent the money collected in the previous year.
Labella will present his resolution to the City Council for approval during their regular session this Wednesday. (EPB)
