School officials pushing lavish graduation face sanction

MANILA, Philippines -  Public school officials may face administrative complaints if they forcibly ask graduating pupils to shell out money for a grandiose graduation ceremony, an official warned yesterday.

DepEd Assistant Secretary Tonisito Umali said that their office has reminded all public school officials to observe “solemn graduation rites” and avoid asking money from their students.

The sanction that will be filed against erring teachers depend on the gravity of the offense committed.

“[If] failure to follow a direct order, the penalty after commencing an administrative case against our teaching or non-teaching personnel in a form of suspension or even reprimand up to dismissal from service,” Umali said at a dzRJ forum in Makati.

He urged the parents to file formal complaints before the DepEd if public school officials will force them to pay for the graduation rites.

But he said that the DepEd would first weigh in on the gravity of the complaints especially if the grandiose graduation rites were donated by a local politician or of the parents-teachers association (PTA).

“If it’s the PTA and the local chief executive who will sponsor, for so long our students didn’t pay anything, that may be ok,” he said.

He reiterated that the DepEd does not want parents to shell out even a small amount for the graduation ceremonies.