DepEd reminds public schools on ‘no collection’ policy

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Education (DepEd) reiterated on Thursday its “no collection” policy in all public schools, in preparation for the opening of classes in June.

Tuition is free in all 45,000 public elementary and high schools nationwide, but organizations like the Philippine Red Cross, the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts of the Philippines annually collect voluntary contributions.

“We would like to reiterate that the Department is strictly implementing the no collection policy in all public schools nationwide. All collections agreed upon by the PTA (parent-teacher associations) during the school year are voluntary and teachers or any school officials should not be involved in the collection,” said Tina Ganzon, director of DepEd’s Communications, Coordination and Crisis Management Office (C3).

“Our goal is to see every school-age child in school and we do not want parents to worry about fees,” she said.

DepEd also said public schools would be open to students who could not afford to wear proper uniform and footwear. Some 22 million students are expected to troop to schools on June 6.

The DepED also announced on Thursday that the provincial government of Camarines Sur has committed to shoulder miscellaneous contributions of some 474,000 students in the province and the city of Iriga.

“While the purpose of these collections are noteworthy, still many households cannot afford this extra financial strain on their pocket,” said Education Secretary Armin Luistro in a statement.

“With the load taken off their shoulders, we, in return, expect the parents to encourage their children to finish schooling and for students to study diligently,” he said.

DepEd imposes a similar policy during graduation time, when some public schools opt to collect voluntary fees to fund graduation rites.