DepEd reminds school officials, parents of no-collection rule

With School Year 2010-2011 due to start in less than a month, education officials reminded parents and school administrators Friday of the government's "no-collection" policy in public elementary and high schools. In a radio interview, Education Secretary Mona Valisno stressed that pupils should not be made to pay various fees at the start of school, lest they be discouraged from attending classes. "No-collection policy, no mandatory collection… requirements. Walang babayaran, wala po (We follow a no-collection policy. There will be no mandatory collection of fees. Students need not pay any fee)," Valisno told dwIZ radio. Fees for authorized activities such as Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Red Cross, Anti-Tuberculosis Fund and Parents-Teachers Association (PTA) should be collected "later on" in the school year, she added. The policy applies to schoolchildren enrolling in preschool up to Grade IV. "No fees shall be collected from schoolchildren enrolling in preschool up to Grade IV during the enrolment period and at any time during the school year," she said in DepEd Order No. 65 dated May 19. Valisno also said her department continues to monitor prices of school supplies, which she said have been "stable" so far. Last year, Valisno's predecessor Jesli Lapus ordered the collection of fees in schools deferred until at least one month after classes start. Fees from Grade IV and up In her order, Valisno said fees for levels beyond Grade IV should start on the second month of the school year and "only on a voluntary basis." Boy and Girl Scout fees should amount to P50 for each student, while the Anti-TB fees should be to P5. PTA fees will be determined by the Board of Directors. School publication fees should not exceed P60 for elementary students and P90 for high school students. Membership in student organizations will be based on existing school policies. Also, Valisno said class sizes should range from a minimum of 15 to a maximum of 60 pupils. When possible, classes from Grades I to IV should not exceed 40 pupils per class. — LBG/RSJ, GMANews.TV