THE Department of Education (DepEd) said it will conduct an investigation on reports about school items found to have toxic contents.
“My office is now verifying information to confirm the findings of EcoWaste Coalition about toxic school supplies,” said Education Secretary Mona Valisno.
For its part, environmental group EcoWaste Coalition said Valisno’s statement is a very welcome development, adding that the safety of schoolchildren is on the line if the issue is not addressed.
“We urge the government to build on our modest effort to raise critical awareness on phthalates and test more PVC school supplies and other priority items that will hopefully lead to a precautionary national ban on phthalates in common children’s products,” said the group’s convener Aileen Lucero.
Phthalates, such as diethylhexyl phthalate or DEHP, are toxic chemical additives added to polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastic products to impart softness, flexibility and durability.
Over the last few years, the European Union and the USA have banned the use of phthalates, including DEHP, in children’s toys and childcare articles.
Aside from school supplies, the EcoWaste Coalition proposed that testing be also conducted on plastic toys and other articles that are popular among Filipino children.
“Chemicals that can jeopardize the health and future of our children should not be found in school supplies and other items typically used by kids such as toys,” emphasized retired chemist Sonia Mendoza of the Mother Earth Foundation and the EcoWaste Coalition.
On Monday, the group made public the result of the chemical analysis on five typical school supplies that were found to contain elevated amounts of DEHP, a probable human carcinogen.
‘No collection' policy
In a related development, at least 10 public schools in Metro Manila are now being investigated by the DepEd for violating the existing “no collection” policy during the enrolment period, an official said Tuesday.
In an interview, DepEd Assistant Secretary Jonathan Malaya said the agency's Action Center has so far received 10 complaints about illegal collection of fees in the metropolis and three from the provinces.
He said its Quick Response Team (QRT) and the field offices are now investigating these 13 schools to determine if indeed there is illegal collection of contributions.
“We are asking these schools to explain why there are persistent and numerous reports from the public that collections are going on,” he added.
The Action Center has also received queries regarding the “No Mandatory Uniform Policy”, incomplete documents for enrollment, and concerns about the requirements for transferring to another school.
Secretary Valisno said the department will strictly enforce the “No Collection Policy” in order to remove any financial obstacles to the enrollment of school-aged children.
“We are committed to meet the country’s targets in the Education For All (EFA) Plan 2015, thus at this time of enrollment, we are removing all out-of-pocket costs.”
The DepEd chief likewise directed all regional and division offices to conduct monitoring activities during the enrollment period to ensure that the directive is observed by all public schools nationwide.
Any official, employee, or teacher found to be in violation of the order will be subject to administrative sanction, according to Valisno. (AH/Sunnex)