TO :   Undersecretaries/Assistant Secretaries
Bureau/Service/Center Directors Regional Directors
Schools Division/City Superintendent

            The Campus Journalism Act of 1991 upholds and protects the freedom of the press even at the campus level. It promotes the development and growth of campus journalism as a means of strengthening ethical values, encouraging critical and creative thinking and developing moral character and personal discipline of the Filipino youth.

               Pursuant to this declared policy,   the collection of school publication fees on a voluntary basis is hereby authorized.

               The following guidelines shall be observed strictly in the collection of school publication Fees.

1.  The collection for both the elementary and the secondary levels shall be made strictly on a voluntary basis and shall not be used as a coercive measure such as a requirement for admission and/or transfer purposes or for the taking of periodical tests.

2.  Only schools which publish their school papers are authorized to collect the aforementioned publication fee from their students, as provided for in DECS Order No. 41, s. 2000. The amount not exceeding FORTY PESOS (P40.00) may be collected as school publication fees for each elementary pupil and the amount not exceeding  SIXTY PESOS (P60.00) for each secondary student.

3.  At the option of the principal, a teacher collector shall be appointed for the purpose of collecting fees from the pupils/students. All collections shall be receipted.

4.  The collections shall be deposited in an authorized depository bank as trust fund credited to the account of the school publication. There shall be at least two (2) authorized signatories namely: the editor-in-chief and the publication teacher-adviser or the officer designated by the school principal.

5.  For SY 2001-2002, the school publication fees shall be collected between October 1- 31, 2001 and within the month of July every school year thereafter unless otherwise revised.

6.  All the other Orders relative to school publication collections, which are inconsistent with these guidelines are hereby rescinded.

1.  There shall be at least three (3) regular circulation/issues of school publications. These shall be in the months of October, December, and February.

2.  Two (2) of these issues shall be subsidized from the publication fees. The other issue shall be self-liquidating following a scheme to be formulated by the school editorial board. Each paper should thus strive to fill an information need in their campus and community to be relevant and marketable.

Wide dissemination of this Order is desired.

 

Reference:

Allotment: 1—(D.O. 50-97)
To be indicated in the Perpetual Index
under the following subjects:

FEES
POLICY
PUBLICATION
SCHOOL PAPER

 DO_s2001_051