'Colorum' Schools
A total of 3,000 private schools nationwide are operating illegally, the Department of Education (DepEd) disclosed as classes opened Monday.
These schools are expected to be closed down if they fail to comply with the regulations set by the government.
DepEd Assistant Secretary Jesus Mateo said out of the 10,797 private elementary and high schools nationwide, 25 percent or 3,000 have been found to be operating without permit, recognition, or accreditation.
As warning, DepEd issued Order No. 38, series of 2011 to address complaints on private schools that operate without the necessary permit from the government. “We will set a deadline for private schools without permit to operate to secure permits; otherwise they will be closed down,” said Mateo.
Mateo also strongly advised parents to verify first if the private schools where their children are enrolled have permit from the DepEd to avoid complications later on. “It is the responsibility of the parents to check and double check the permit of the school to ensure that they are operating legally,” he said.
To know if the school is operating legally, parents should check the “Permit to Operate” being issued by DepEd and the “Business Permit” from the local government units. “Parents should also cross check with DepEd division offices. Also, they can check documents and papers of the school prior to the enrollment,” Mateo said.
DepEd is currently coordinating with regional offices to find out if there are private pre-schools that are illegally operating. Parents can also go to DepEd’s website, www.deped.gov.ph. and look for list of accredited schools and the number of DepEd regional office to file a report.
“The parents can also sue the private school for violating the regulations for operating their business. They can do this by filing a case or coordinate with DepEd legal division,” he explained.
Students who finished a grade or year level in a school without permit to operate “shall not be penalized.” Mateo said they can transfer to other schools after they have taken an assessment examination conducted by the Philippine Validating Test prior to admission in another school to validate the acquired learning gains.
Earlier, Education Secretary Armin Luistro ordered all its regional offices to submit the names and addresses of private schools which are recognized, accredited, and have permit to operate to the Office of the Undersecretary for Regional Operations.
DepEd encouraged LGUs to post the list of private schools with permits at DepEd offices, municipal halls, and other conspicuous public places to serve as reference and guide for parents.
As this developed, hundreds of students in some public schools nationwide may not be able to start attending classes in time for the school year 2011-2012 because of late enrollment.
Luistro said late enrollees, particularly in schools in Metro Manila, may have to wait for two to three weeks until after those who have pre-registered have already been accommodated.
“While public schools offer free education for all, they [parents] should not abuse the mandate of the Department and resources of the schools as well as the principals,” Luistro said. He added that DepEd is looking for ways to accommodate the late enrollees.
Luistro also expressed dismay to parents and guardians who were not able to enroll their children early. “Pre-registration started last December, they had enough time to enroll their children,” he added. Last- minute enrollment, Luistro stressed, becomes a big problem “for our principals because they would not know where to put these students.”
According to NCR Regional Director Elena Ruiz, Quezon City and Caloocan City are the most “problematic” schools. “Enrollment in these schools continues to rise, and we don’t have enough resources to accommodate all the students, especially those who enrolled late,” she said.
Despite this, Luistro said that the opening of classes for school year 2011-2012 was generally “smooth” and “peaceful.”
Latest data from the DepEd showed that 25.7 million elementary and high school students trooped to 55,230 public and 10,797 private schools nationwide. A total of 22.05 million students went to public schools or 86 percent and an estimated 3.65 million are in private schools.
Source: Manila Bulletin Publishing Company
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