TRANSFERRING STUDENTS FROM PRIVATE TO PUBLIC SCHOOL

Sa hirap ng buhay ngayon, kung saan kahit parehong nagtatrabaho si Mommy at si Daddy, parang kulang pa rin ang kita para suportahan ang mga anak — lalo na kung pag-aaralin pa sila sa private school. Marami kasing gastos bukod sa basic needs na food, clothes and shelter.

Mandatory na rin ang pagpapaaral sa anak Hanggang junior high school.

Kung kapwa kumikita ng minimum wage ang mag-asawang may dalawang anak, mayroon lang silang Php1,140 per day dahil ang kumikita minimum wage sa Metro Manila ay ₱570 per day, na inaasahang magiging Php610 bago  matapos ang taon.

Bawasin natin ang taxes at iba pang bayarin tulad ng SSS, Philhealth, mortgage sa bahay at iba pa, kunwari konti lang ang bayarin, siguro, P900 na lang ang natira.

Wala pa dyan ang pagkain, transportation, ilaw, tubig at LPG. Wala pa rin ang baon ng anak sa iskwela. Paanong kaya magkakasya ang P64 per day per person na food allowance na sinasabi ng NEDA? At saan mo kukunin ang pambayad sa napakamahal na tuition fees sa private school?

Kaya kung dating naka-enroll sa private school ang bata, dahil sa financial impact ng katatapos na pandemya at sa patuloy na pagbagsak ng ekonomiya at pagtaas ng presyo ng bigas at gasolina, pwersado ang mga magulang na ilipat na lamang sila sa public school.

Kaso, inalat nga ang mga raket. Walang pambayad — kaya nga lilipat sa public school, di ba? May utang pa pala at ayaw tanggapin ang promissory note dahil napakarami nang gumawa nito pero tinakbuhan ang utang nang mapagbigyan.

Syempre, hindi sila mag-iisyu ng report card para makumpleto ang transfer, pati na ang iba pang dokumento. Kailangan munang bayaran  ang outstanding balance.

Sa kasamaang palad, hindi ilegal ang action ng private school. Talagang pwede nilang i-withhold ang credentials ng estudyante Hanggang sa mabayaran ang utang. Kinikilala ang otoridad ng mga pribadong iskwelahan na i-withhold ang students’ credentials dahil sa hindi pagbabayad ng financial obligations sa ilalim ng Sections 127 and 128 of Department of Education (DepEd) Order 88, Series of 2010, orm 2010 Revised Manual of Regulations for Private Schools in Basic Education:

“Section 127. Transfer of Students and Transfer Credentials. A pupil or student enrolled in one school is entitled to transfer to another school, provided he has no unsettled obligations with the school he was enrolled in.

xxx

“Section 128. Withholding of Credentials. The release of the transfer credentials of any pupil or student may be withheld for reasons of suspension, expulsion or nonpayment of financial obligations or property responsibility of the pupil or student to the school. The credentials shall be released as soon as his obligation shall have been settled or the penalty of suspension or expulsion lifted. xxx”

Malinaw na hindi  labag sa batas ang pagtanggi ng mga private schools na i-release ang students’ transfer credentials dahil sa hindi pagbabayad  ng financial obligations sa nasabing iskwelahan.

Gayunman, hindi ito nangangahulugang hindi makakalipat ang bata sa public school.

Batay sa DepEd Order 03, Series of 2018 o Basic Education Enrollment Policy:

“C. Temporary Enrollment

“Transferees from public and private schools in the Philippines who failed to submit the SF 9 (formerly Form 138) during early registration or upon enrollment shall only be temporarily enrolled until the submission of required documents on or before August 31st of the current school year. They shall be required to submit an Affidavit of Undertaking, provided as Annex 3, signed by the parent/guardian in order to be temporarily enrolled.

xxx

“Upon complete submission of the documentary requirements, the learner shall be tagged as officially enrolled in the LIS [Learner Information System]. Otherwise, the learner retains the status of temporarily enrolled; the learner cannot be officially promoted to a higher level, and the learner cannot officially graduate from the school. The learner will not be recognized should he/she attain the qualifying average and other criteria for academic honors, and the receiving school shall not release official documents such as SF 9, SF 10, Certificate of Completion, Diploma, etc.”

Sa madaling sabi, malinaw na maililipat ang bata sa public school pansamantala kahit walang transfer credentials, ngunit kailangan pa rin itong isumite, subject sa pagbibigay ng Affidavit of Undertaking. Magiging opisyal lamang ang temporary enrollment ng bata kapag na-settle na ang obligasyon sa private school at naibigay n ang transfer records sa public school.

Ito po ay batay lamang sa aming katatapos na research at pwedeng magbago kung may mga batas na naipasa sa Kamara at Senado, o kung may bagong direktiba ang DepEd.

JAYZL VILLAFANIA NEBRE