To : Undersecretaries
Assistant Secretaries
Bureau/Service/Center Directors
Regional Directors
Schools Division Superintendents
Heads of Public Elementary and Secondary Schools
All Others Concerned

Pursuant to the Constitutional mandate for the provision of free public education at the elementary and secondary levels and to meet the country’s targets in the Education For All (EFA) Plan 2015 and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) with respect to primary school participation there is an urgent need to remove obstacles to the enrolment of school-age children. These obstacles include the out-of-pocket costs which families have to bear in the course of sending their children to school.

Accordingly, the following policies on collection of fees in public schools shall be strictly observed:

1. No fees shall be collected from schoolchildren enrolling in pre-school up to Grade IV, during the enrolment period and at any time during the schoolyear. This prohibition shall cover, among others, the authorized but voluntary contributions such as BSP, GSP, Red Cross, Anti-TB Fund and PTCA.
2. For grade and year levels beyond Grade 4, no collection of any type should be undertaken during the enrolment period and the first month of classes. Starting on the second month, contributions for the following may be collected, but only on a voluntary basis:
   1. Boy/Girl Scouts membership
   2. Red Cross Membership
   3. Anti-TB Fund Drive
   4. PTCA
   5. School Publication
   6. Membership in student organizations
3. PTCAs may start their collection only after presenting to their members and to the school administration a report on the utilization of the previous schoolyear’s collections. The amount of contributions to the PTCA shall be agreed upon in a general assembly of the PTCA.
4. The school publication fee shall be set at the school level but shall not be more than P60.00 per elementary school pupil and P90.00 per secondary school student. The publication of a school newspaper, while not mandatory, is strongly encouraged, particularly at the secondary level in line with the campus journalism program.
5. The membership fees for student organizations shall be set by the organization subject to existing school policies on student organizations.
   Pupils/students who are promoted to the next grade or year level are considered automatically enrolled for the coming schoolyear in the same school. Only pupils entering first grade, students entering first year high school, and transferees from another public school or a private school need to enroll during the enrolment period. Returning pupils/students shall report to school only for sectioning purposes or any other pre-opening preparations as determined by the school administrators.Schools Division Superintendents are directed to release MOOE funds to schools without fiscal autonomy in the form of cash advance to ensure that operating funds are available at the start of the schoolyear.
   Regional and division offices are advised to undertake monitoring activities during the enrolment period and the first month of classes to ensure that the provisions of this Order are strictly complied with. Any violation should be subject to administrative action.For immediate dissemination and strict compliance.

DO_s2008_019