Gov’t releases guidelines on fee collection, class suspension

MANILA, Philippines – Here are some guidelines on fee collection and class suspension that would help students, parents, and school officials for the coming school year 2012-13.

Fee collection

The Department on Education (DepEd) has released in May Order 41, which specifies guidelines for school officials and parents on non-collection of fees in public schools.

Education secretary Armin Luistro has directed in this order that no fees shall be collected from kindergarten up to Grade 4 anytime during school year 2012-2013.

For Grade 5 pupils up to fourth year high school students, there will be no collection from June to July. However, starting August until the end of the school year, the following fees may be collected on a voluntary basis:

• Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts membership fees – P50
• Philippine National Red Cross – P35
• Anti-TB fund drive – P5
• school publication fee – P60 in elementary and P90 in high school

Also, the Parents-Teachers Association (PTA) fee must be reasonable and is to be determined during the PTA general assembly. The PTA can only collect contributions starting August and only after presenting to the PTA members and to the school head/principal a report on the following:

• the use of previous school year’s PTA collections
• proposed budget/collection for SY2012-2013, and planned program of activities

The order also says that no teacher, school officials, and personnel shall collect fees/contributions nor shall they be entrusted with the safekeeping and disbursement of collections made by the PTA.

This order, DepEd claims, will ensure that issues and concerns regarding unauthorized contributions and fees in public schools are directly addressed.

Class suspension

The opening of classes also marks the start of the rainy season in the country. Hence, President Benigno Aquino III signed in January Executive Order 66, which states that DepEd will no longer be announcing class suspensions, and that the responsibility now lies with the local government officials.

The EO states that the following guidelines apply:

• When Signal No. 1 is raised by PAGASA, public and private pre-school and kindergarten classes in the affected areas are automatically suspended.
• At Signal No. 2 the suspension will also include elementary and secondary classes.
• When Signal No. 3 is announced, classes in all levels and work in all DepEd offices are cancelled.
• Depending on the signal announced between 10 p.m. and 4:30 a.m. the following day, classes in appropriate levels for the whole day are deemed automatically suspended.

In the absence of typhoon signals, suspension of classes in both public and private schools may be implemented by LGU officials in their capacity as chairpersons of the Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (LDRRMC). LGU officials are expected to announce cancellation of classes not later than 4:30 a.m. for whole day cancellation and 11:00 a.m. for afternoon class suspension.

A school head may only cancel or suspend classes in cases where urgent action is needed. – Rappler.com