1. Pursuant to the Constitutional mandate on the provision of free public education at the elementary and secondary levels and to achieve the country’s targets in the Education for All (EFA) Plan 2015 and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) with respect to universal primary school participation, there is an urgent need to remove financial and non-financial obstacles to the smooth enrolment process and continued schooling of schoolchildren.

2. Accordingly the following policies shall be strictly observed:

1. Collection of School Contributions

1. No fees shall be collected from schoolchildren enrolling in pre­school up to Grade 4 during the enrolment period and at any time during the school year. This prohibition shall cover the authorized but voluntary contributions such as Boy Scouts of the Philippines (BSP), Girl Scouts of the Philippines (GSP), Red Cross, Anti-Tuberculosis (TB) Fund and Parents-Teachers Association (PTA), among others;
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 of every school year, contributions may be collected, but only on a voluntary basis. Please see table below for the corresponding amount and reference of the following authorized contributions:

a. PTAs may start their collection only after presenting a report on the utilization of the previous school year’s collections to their members and to the school administration. The amount of contributions to the PTA shall be agreed upon in a general assembly of the PTA (DepED Order No. 54, s. 2009);

b. The school publication fee shall be set at the school level but it shall not be more than Sixty Pesos (PhP60.00) per elementary school pupil and Ninety Pesos (PhP90.00) per secondary school student (DepED Order No. 19, s. 2008). The publication of a school newspaper, while not mandatory, is strongly encouraged in line with the campus journalism program both at elementary and secondary levels; and

c. The membership fees for student organizations shall be set by the organization subject to existing school policies on student organizations.

I. Enrolment

1. Pupils/Students who are promoted to the next grade or year level are considered automatically enrolled for the coming school year in the same school. Only pupils entering first grade, students entering first year high school, and transferees from another public school or from 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;
2. Children who will be six year old by the opening of classes (June 15, 2010) for School Year 2010-2011 and every opening of classes for subsequent school years are eligible for enrolment in Grade 1. The birth certificate of the child shall be the documentary basis for admission. However, under no circumstance shall a child be denied admission due to the absence of birth certificate. In case this is not available a joint affidavit attesting to the birth of the child executed by two disinterested persons may be submitted, subject to submission of his/her birth certificate thereafter;
3. Children who are younger than six years old by six months at most may be admitted to Grade 1 provided their readiness for school has been assessed positively by the school where they are applying for admission through the School Readiness Assessment Tool in relation to DepED Order No. 25, s. 2007 on School Readiness Assessment for All Grade One Entrants;
4. Pupils/Students who wish to transfer to a public school from another public school or from a private school should bring the Form 138 (Report Card) to the school where they intend to transfer. If this document is not available, the child can be admitted on condition that the Report Card shall be submitted not later than the end of the First Grading Period;
5. Class sizes shall have a range from a minimum of 15 pupils/students to a maximum of 60 pupils/students per class. Whenever possible, classes from Grades 1 to 4, should not exceed 40 pupils per class in order to keep the teaching-learning process more manageable during these foundation years of schooling;
6. In addition, the most competent and/or most experienced teachers should be assigned to these grade levels, particularly in Grade 1; and
7. The specific provision of DepEd Order No. 32, s. 2003 giving priority preference for admission to those new entrants who are residents of the locality where the school is located, subject to the reasonable threshold ratio of pupils/students per teacher as stated above is retained.

II. Student Uniform and ID Cards

1. The wearing of a school uniform shall not be required in public schools. Students with existing uniforms may continue using these uniforms, if they so desire, in order to avoid incurring additional costs for new attire; and
2. Identification (ID) Cards shall be provided to students at no cost on their part. The school administration shall fund these from its Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses (MOOE).

III. Release of MOOE in Cash Advance to School

1. Schools Division/City Superintendents are directed to release MOOE funds to schools without fiscal autonomy in the form of cash advance and in adequate amounts proportional to the enrolment size to ensure that operating funds are available at the start of and throughout the school year.

IV. Other Guidelines

1. The provisions with regard to the “Adoption of Double Shift Policy” to address classroom shortages, as provided for in DepED Order No. 62, s. 2004, subject to the above cited average and maximum class size, shall be maintained; and
2. The “Revised Guidelines Governing PTAs” insofar as consistent with the Guidelines on Collection of School Contributions are hereby reactivated.

V. Monitoring of Implementation

3. Any violation of this Order and DepED Order No. 19, s. 2008 by any school official/employee shall be strictly dealt with administratively, pursuant to DepED Order No. 49, s. 2006, otherwise known as the “Revised Rules of Procedure of the Department of Education in Administrative Cases”.

4. All previous issuances which are inconsistent with the provisions of DepED Order No. 19, s. 2008 and this Order are hereby repealed or modified accordingly.

5. These guidelines shall remain in force and in effect during the succeeding school years until revised or repealed.

6. Immediate dissemination of and compliance with this Order is directed.