Wednesday, June 04, 2008 DepEd to enforce dress code among students
EDUCATION Secretary Jesli Lapus said a dress code ensuring that only “appropriate school attire” would be used by students going to school would be issued following the order of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to do away with the school uniforms in the public school system.
“We will have a dress code,” said Lapus in an ambush interview adding that the state provides that public education should be free and imposing uniforms is “like requiring public education to have a cost”.
He said they, however, would not prevent parents or 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 uniform may continue to use their uniform,” he said.
Lapus said a “common term” is being drafted by the department which would serve as guideline to the type of clothes that could be used.
He said the scrapping of the uniform stemmed from the government’s desire to ease the burden of sending students to school especially for Grade I and freshmen pupils who are the ones usually required to buy new uniforms, and at the same time improve the participation rate.
He said aside from the school uniform, the government is also hoping that the non-collection of fees for public schools especially for Grades I to IV would also help 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.
Lapus said Arroyo ordered “absolutely no collection of fees for Grades I to IV” and for the intermediate level or Grades V to VI, school fees or contributions may only be collected one month after the school opening and only upon approval of the parents. (JMR/Sunnex)
