Philippines
Philippines

Corruption, exam leaks? ‘Quesci’ files complaint vs principal

Students, teachers, and alumni say Quezon City Science High School principal Zanaida Sadsad leaks entrance questions to a favored tutorial center

TOGETHER. Teachers, students, and alumni bring their concerns to the Department of Education. Photo by Jee Geronimo/Rappler

MANILA, Philippines – “Kung sa Senado may Napoles, sa Quesci may Sadsad!“

(If Senate has a Napoles [to investigate], Quezon City Science High School has a Sadsad!)

It was one of the chants of students, teachers, and alumni of the Quezon City Science High School (QCSHS) on Thursday, September 26, to protest against school principal Dr Zenaida Sadsad.

They gathered at the front gates of the Department of Education-National Capital Region (DepEd-NCR) office after class dismissal, to file a complaint on Sadsad’s alleged grave abuse of authority and corrupt practices.

The 7-page complaint affidavit accused Sadsad of:

  1. accepting student applicants who do not meet the grade requirement of QCSHS.
  2. openly endorsing Brainworks/Brainchamps Tutorial Learning Center to QCSHS student applicants, with the assurance of guaranteed admission slot in the school. The center boasts of 100% passing rate to the science high school.
  3. leaking out test questions to said tutorial center.
  4. threatening teachers who are spreading rumors of the test leakage with a libel suit and removal from service.

Long overdue

Jireh Espinosa of QCSHS Batch 2003 said the school-wide protest was long overdue: “She has this virtual martial law that prohibits anyone to go against her. Anyone who posts online against her will be punished. All the issues have piled up since 2009. We waited 4 years to do this.”

In 2009, Sadsad suspended 4 students for blogging criticisms about her policies. DepEd later overturned the suspension. 

“Finally we have the support of the faculty. [It] used to be just the alumni; the faculty chose to remain silent, the students, of course, were afraid. For the first time, you’re looking at a coordinated vocalization of what everyone has been feeling for four years,” Espinosa said.

OBSERVE. Some students observe the commotion from the other side of the regional office. Photo by Jee Geronimo/Rappler

Promotion to keep quiet

Jackson Bacabac, a social studies teacher who has been with QCSHS for 16 years, said Sadsad offered him a promotion just to keep quiet, but he rejected it. 

“We want to regain the dignity and grandeur of Quesci, and this is the right way,” he said.

The principal’s questionable transactions with the tutorial center is also common knowledge among students 

“Mababa na po ‘yung quality ng Quesci kasi hindi na po ganung katalino ‘yung mga estudyante dahil umaasa na lang ‘yung ibang estudyante dun po sa Brainworks para makapasok,” one student said. 

(The quality of Quesci is already low, and students are no longer that smart because some of them rely on Brainworks to get in.)

DIALOGUE. NCR OIC-Regional Director Rizalino Rosales talks to one of the teachers. Photo by Jee Geronimo/Rappler

NCR OIC-Regional Director Rizalino Rosales met the rallyists to assure them that investigations are being conducted.

He said they are reviewing requests for Sadsad to resign, but suspension can only be done based on the merits of the case.

“We will call for the principal, but more than that, the superintendent, regional director, and DepEd have the power to do something about this. While she is being investigated, that is not to say she is untouchable,” he said in Filipino. – Rappler.com

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