By Alfonso T. Ruda
DIPOLOG CITY - The schools division superintendents of Zamboanga del Norte and Dipolog City have again reminded the school heads of the different elementary and public schools of the outstanding order from the Department of Education (DepEd) on the “No Collection Policy.”
Both Zamboanga del Norte DepEd chief Natividad Bayubay and Dipolog City DepEd chief Victorina G. Perez were one in saying during the recent Kapihan sa Dipolog radio program that that “the Philippine government provides basic education free of charge to all its citizens.”
They pointed out that DepEd Order No. 41 series of 2012, or the Revised Guidelines on the opening of classes provides that basic education in the country is free and no single centavo should be collected from the students.
Bayubay and Perez said that non-payment of voluntary fees and membership fees is not a basis for non-admission of students.
In an office order dated May 29, 2014issued by the Zamboanga del Norte schools division, Bayubay directed all Public Schools Division Supervisors, Officers-in-Charge of the District, Public Elementary and High School Heads to replicate or post in a conspicuous places in their schools the “NO COLLECTION OF FEES POLICY” tarpaulins/streamers.
In the city, Perez, who is also the concurrent school principal of the Zamboanga del Norte National High School, also asked the teachers to refrain from collecting any fees from the students and/or requiring students to bring some teaching materials which are not ordered by the department or the division.
Should there be any reported violation of the DepEd policy, they considered “isolated cases.”