By Rey Anthony ChiuOn the light of the formal charges against a Lucena City high school principal for violation of Department of Education (DepEd) procedures, reelected City Mayor Dan Lim has vowed to do the same to any erring teacher and school in the city division.
Speaking during an early radio interview Thursday, June 14, the city mayor who enjoyed an overwhelming mandate to power in his reelection said he has created a task force to look into the proper implementation of the existing DepEd guidelines.
The DepEd, through Secretary Jesli Lapuz has issued orders on the general guidelines for opening of classes, (DepEd order 32). The guideline strictly implements a no-collection upon enrollment by administrators and parent teachers associations to stress that state education indeed is free.
Stressing her point during another phone interview, Schools Division Superintendent Cerina Bolos said collection of fees should not be a precondition for enrollment.
Over this, according to Mayor Lim, the city has put Ruel Namocatcat to personally head a task force to focus on the issues for the City Schools Division, even as he said in any situation where the DepEd procedures are not followed, he will file administrative charges to concerned teachers or administrators involved.
Aside from the task force, the DepEd also put up the Oplan Balik Eskwela Command Centers here to go after violations of department procedures and issues of grave misconduct by teachers especially during the opening of the school year.
In Lucena City, a principal became officially the first casualty of the government's drive to clean up its ranks as the formal charges were filed against the school head.
DepEd however, citing the Magna Carta for Public School Teachers (Republic Act 4670), is withholding the name of the principal until the case has been resolved.
According to reports, the principal allegedly set up variations in enrollment procedures that discriminate between those who can and those who cannot make contributions.
He also authorized the collection of various fees, including a Handbook Fee, an Athletic Fee and a Testing Fee for Entrance Examinations in Special Programs in English, Science and Math, all of which are not authorized by the department. He also authorized the collection of a 25-peso ID Card Fee, which is above the allowable amount by DepEd Order No. 3 (s. 2004). (PIA)
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