Arroyo bans collecting fees from Grades 1 to 4 pupils

MANILA, Philippines - President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has ordered a no fee collection policy for public school enrollees from Grades 1 to 4, Education Secretary Jesli Lapus reminded Monday, a month before the school year starts. "Ipinagbabawal na po, iniutos ng Presidente (Gloria Macapagal) Arroyo. ‘Yong Grades 1 to 4 kahit na 'yong authorized voluntary deduction ay hindi na kokolektahin (President Arroyo ordered that there will be no authorized voluntary deduction from students of Grades 1 to 4)," Lapus said in an interview on GMA’s Unang Hirit. "So there will be absolutely no money transaction, whether it is authorized, voluntary or whatever, during the enrollment time," he added. Lapus said the move was aimed at increasing the number of enrollees. "Kaya inaasahan natin na lalaki 'yong ating (enrollment) kasi ngayon 83 percent lang ng mga batang dapat nasa eskwelahan ang pumapasok (We expect an increase in the number of enrollees with the President’s no-collection order. At present, only 83 percent of children go to school)," Lapus said. He said last year, 90 percent of the questions their action center received were on the collection during enrollment. He said the presence of collection booths and collectors caused misunderstanding among the parents and teachers prompting poor parents not to enroll their children. "Kasi 'yong ating mga magulang, 'yong iba imbes na magtanong, kapag nakakakita ng mga nangongolekta, akala ay requirement sa enrollment so merong hindi tumutuloy sasabihin nila, ‘Anak wala tayong pera ‘wag ka na lang mag-aral’," Lapus said. (Some poor parents, instead of asking question, opt not to enroll their children upon seeing that money is being collected by teachers.) Meanwhile, students from Grades 5 to 6 can be asked to pay authorized and voluntary collections such as fees for Boys and Girls Scouts of the Philippines, Anti-Tubercolosis project and Parents and Teachers’ Association (PTA). However, these fees can only be collected a month after the enrollment and after these are fully explained to the parents. Lapus said parents can lodge their complaint to the DepEd’s Balik Eskwela Action Center against schools that will violate the order. On the other hand, he said Brigada Eskwela, a week of cleaning and preparing the schools, will continue. "Ginawa nang compulsory ngayon, lahat ng eskwelahan sa buong Pilipinas ay magbi-Brigada Eskwela (Brigada Eskwela is now compulsory in all the public schools in the country)," he said. He public school teachers are now undergoing intensive re-training in preparation for the coming school year. - Amita Legaspi, GMANews.TV