Hotline open on illegal school fees

Weeks before the start of the new school year, child welfare group Akap Bata has launched a hotline for complaints against illegal or questionable enrolment fees in public schools.

The group offered a number and an e-mail address—(02) 4376831, partylistakapbata@ yahoo.com—to receive complaints, which would then be forwarded directly to Education Secretary Armin Luistro.

Its Facebook page and a Twitter account—@akap_bata_party —will also accept complaints under the group’s “E-Monitor” project launched at the Polytechnic University of the Philippines on Wednesday.

Akap Bata reminded the public that the Department of Education currently has a “no-collection policy” for enrollment fees in public schools this coming school year.

“Rest assured that identity of our callers will remain confidential,” said Arlene Brosas, Akap Bata national secretary general.

Akap Bata said DepEd has underscored its no-collection policy in various memoranda issued from 2008 to 2010.

“No fees shall be collected from school children enrolling in preschool up to Grade 4 during the enrollment period and at any time during the school year. For levels beyond Grade 4, no collection of any type should be undertaken during the enrollment period and the first month of classes,” Brosas said, quoting the orders.

Contributions may be collected starting the second month of the school year, but only on a voluntary basis, she added.

“As also stated on DepEd orders, violating school administrators and personnel of the ‘no-collection policy’ will be dealt strictly with administrative charges,” Brosas warned.