One in four private schools unregistered

TWENTY-FIVE percent of private schools nationwide—or one in four—are considered “colorum” schools or those that have not registered with the Department of Education (DepEd), it was learned on Monday.

Meanwhile, hundreds of students might need to postpone attending school for failing to enlist prior to Monday’s official opening of classes, which both the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) reported as generally peaceful and orderly.

During an interview aired over dzBB radio also on Monday, Yolanda Quijano, Education undersecretary for programs and projects, said that the problem of unregistered private schools is one that her department is looking for ways to address.

“We estimate that only 75 percent [of private] schools [have a] permit to operate,” she added.

“Unfortunately, we don’t have the ‘police power’ to close [these unregistered schools]. Kailangan i-file sa korte [It needs to be filed with the court],” Quijano said.

According to her, the Education department is going through the list of schools with permits to operate.

She explained that if a school was found to be operating without a permit, its students might transfer to an accredited school after taking a validation test.

Quijano advised parents to check schools if they have permits to operate before enrolling their children there.

During a press briefing also on Monday, Education Secretary Bro. Armin Luistro said that those who enrolled late for classes will have to wait as his department is looking for alternative schools that can accommodate them, such as those near their homes.

“While public schools offer free education for all, they (late enrollees and their parents) should not abuse our mandate and the resources of the schools,” he added.

“Nakapag-announce na kami ng early registration noong December pa, kaya mahirap tanggapin na ngayon lang nila nalaman [We announced early registration in December, so it’s hard to accept that they (parents of late enrollees) got to know about it only now],” the Education chief said.

Observe discipline

According to Luistro, parents should observe discipline and avoid procrastinating when enrolling their children during the first day of classes, as school officials and teachers would be too preoccupied with various tasks on that day.

The Education secretary added that though late enrollees would still be accommodated, his department’s main priority are those who took part in the early registration it set up in January.

Majority of the late enrollees were said to be entrants in the universal kindergarten program.

This program is part of the Education department’s K+12 program, which added two more years to the country’s 10-year basic education program.

Also on Monday, PNP spokesman and Chief Supt. Agrimero Cruz Jr. reported that the first day of classes was orderly and peaceful, despite the rally staged by the Alliance of Concerned Teachers and party-list groups Anakbayan and Kabataan in front of the University of Santo Tomas in Manila’s Sampaloc district.

“No untoward incident was reported by all [police regional offices],” Cruz said.

According to the police official, full-alert status would remain until June 13—a day after Philippine Independence Day— on orders of PNP Director Gen. Raul Bacalzo.

“Some schools are scheduled to start classes next week and [Bacalzo] wanted to ensure that all students and campuses are safe before” the full-alert status can be downgraded, Cruz said.

Emerson Carlos, MMDA assistant manager for operations, also reported on Monday that the opening of the new schoolyear was “relatively smooth,” despite some build-up in areas where schools are located.

He attributed this to the deployment of some 2,000 traffic enforcers along major thoroughfares in Metro Manila, particularly at Epifanio de los Santos Avenue (Edsa).

Heavier traffic

The MMDA, however, expects heavier traffic to occur once all schools—particularly colleges and universities—open in the coming weeks.

As part of its preparation, it is set to deploy additional traffic enforcers at identified critical areas: Circumferential Road-5 (C-5); Katipunan Avenue in Quezon City; España Avenue-Arsenio Lacson Street, Ramon Magsaysay Avenue and the so-called University Belt, also in Manila; and the Edsa-Ortigas area in Mandaluyong City.

MMDA Chairman Francis Tolentino said that traffic enforcers would be deployed during the next scheduled opening of classes— June 13 and 15—as as early as 5 a.m.

He also appealed to parents, students and commuters not to prolong their stay on the roads when they send their children to schools as to not worsen the traffic condition in the metropolis. –Francis Earl A. Cueto, Correspondent with reports from Maria Nikka U. Garriga and William B. Depasupil, Manila Times