Wednesday, June 04, 2008 DepEd to set rules for ‘dress code,’ repeats warning vs. collection of fees
THE Department of Education (DepEd) is extending its “no uniform policy” to all public school students and will be issuing guidelines to ensure that only appropriate clothes would be worn.
“We will have a dress code,” said DepEd Secretary Jesli Lapus, adding that the State provides that public education should be free and imposing uniforms is “like requiring public education to have a cost.”
GMA’s order
President Arroyo issued Monday an order scrapping the uniform policy among Grade 1 pupils to help parents save on school expenses.
Lapus, however, said they would not prevent students who still prefer to wear uniform. He added that those who have already bought them may still use or keep them as it is usable for two to three years.
“Those with uniforms may continue to use their uniforms,” he said.
DepEd 7 Director Carolino Mordeno shared the sentiment, adding that it is a good thing that wearing of uniforms has been scrapped because a lot of children do not go
school because they have no uniforms.
Secretary Lapus said they are drafting a “common term” that would serve as guideline on the type of clothes that could be worn.
Aside from the wearing of school uniform, Lapus said the government is also hoping that the non-collection of fees for public schools, especially for Grades 1 to 4, would keep students in school.
The education chief said even the cost of the school identification cards in public schools should be shouldered by the school.
No fees
Lapus said that Arroyo ordered “absolutely no collection of fees for Grades 1 to 4” and for the intermediate level or Grades 5 to 6, school fees or contributions may only
be collected one month after the school opening and only upon approval of the parents.
To this, DepEd 7 Assistant Director Recaredo Borgonia assured they would not allow school officials to collect any fees during enrolment of classes.
Elementary education is free and mandatory to all children whereas high school education is optional but still free.
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.
Likewise, 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.
Collection schedule
School contributions from students may only be collected in the months of July or August.
While DepEd allows contributions from Grade 5 to fourth year high school students, Borgonia emphasized that school heads should not collect these fees but the Parents, Teachers and Community Association instead.
This year, in order to stop public schools from collecting fees, DepEd may now allow school heads to avail themselves of allocated funds for the school maintenance and operating expenses.
This was after receiving reports that some schools were allegedly collecting fees from students for the payment of the school’s water and electricity bills.
Funding per school may vary depending on the number of students enrolled, Mordeno told Sun.Star Cebu.
Mordeno said the funding would be released on a monthly basis, and schools may claim their allocated funds from their division offices. (EPB/With Sunnex)
