CLOSURE. Jenelieto Atillo, spokesperson of the Department of Education 11 (Davao region), reads the agency's decision ordering the closure of 55 Salugpongan schools in the region on Monday (Oct. 8, 2019). The decision was based on the findings of the five-man fact finding committee created by DepEd-11 in August to investigate Salugpongan schools for regulatory violations and alleged links to the communist rebel movement. (PNA photo by Che Palicte)
DAVAO CITY -- Three months after suspending its operations for alleged irregularities and links with the communist rebel movement, the Department of Education (DepEd) 11 (Davao region) on Tuesday ordered the closure of the controversial Salugpungan Ta'Tanu Igkanogon Community Learning Center, Inc. (STTICLCI).
Jenelieto Atillo, DepEd-11 spokesperson, said the order, which affected 55 STTICLCI schools in the region, was based on the findings of the five-man fact-finding committee created by DepEd-11 in August.
Atillo made it clear that the decision did not rest solely on STTICLCI's alleged links with the New People's Army (NPA), but that the findings showed various regulatory violations, deficiencies, and compliance issues on the part of the school management.
Key findings
He said STTICLCI's closure came "after careful consideration, analysis, and thorough evaluation of the testimonies of the resource persons, key informant, and documents submitted."
Atillo said the 30-page findings submitted by the fact-finding committee to DepEd-11 Director Evelyn Fetalvero contained "substantial evidence" against STTICLC.
Among the key findings, he said, are the following:
- The STTICLCI failed to comply with the curriculum standards set by DepEd-11;
- It brought its students away from their homes without the consent of their parents and used them to generate funds by making them perform in various events, a violation of DepEd's Child Protection Policy;
- Teachers of the STTICLCI lacked the professional license to teach, or are not passers of the Licensure Examination for Teachers. Instead, classes of the core learning areas were conducted by learning facilitators, in violation of DepEd Order 21 series of 2014;
- The STTICLCI has been operating within the ancestral domain of tribal communities without obtaining the mandatory Free and Prior Informed Consent (FPIC) and the subsequent certification precondition from the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP);
- Some STTICLCI students do not have learner's reference numbers (LRN), a violation of the requirement of DepEd Order 26 series of 2015; and
- The STICLCI has misrepresented its enrolled data, and that the data contained in the document submitted to the DepEd do not match with the records in the DepEd learners information system;
Moreover, Atillo said that of the 55 schools in the region that applied for permits to operate for school year 2018-2019, only 28 applied for the succeeding school year (2019-2020).
Moving forward
Atillo assured that STTICLCI's closure would not affect its learners, who will be accommodated by DepEd-run schools near their areas.
He pointed out that in the Davao region alone, at least 33 DepEd-run schools are located adjacent to Salugpungan schools.
In fact, Atillo said more than a thousand Salugpungan learners have already enrolled in various DepEd schools since STTICLCI's permit to operate was suspended in July.
"We continue to remind and encourage the parents to enroll their child to DepEd schools. We assure you that we will accept them with or without credentials," he said.
Based on Fetalvero's order, he said STTICLCI was also directed to turn over its student records to DepEd school divisions’ office for proper custody.
He said STTICLCI executive director Maria Eugenia Nolasco has been informed of the DepEd-11 decision as early as September 20.
Atillo also clarified that STTICLCI may still appeal the DepEd-11 decision to Education Secretary Leonor Briones.
However, he added that "on our level, they (STTICLCI schools) are no longer allowed to operate and it's up to Secretary Briones if she will change the decision."
Wider probe
Atillo said the findings released by DepEd-11 will form the basis of another fact-finding investigation at the national level.
While he did not elaborate, Atillo indicated that a wider investigation will likely explore STTICLCI's alleged ties with the communist rebel movement.
He noted that STTICLCI's suspension on July 10 came about after Briones directed DepEd-11 to conduct an investigation to verify the allegations made by National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon that STTICLCI-run schools were being used as training and recruitment centers for the NPA.
Esperon's allegations were based on the testimonies of former STTICLCI students and teachers.
Meanwhile, STTICLCI has called on DepEd to "re-examine" the closure of its schools.
In a Facebook post on Monday, it called on DepEd to hold dialogues with Indigenous Peoples communities affected by the closure.
"Solutions to complex problems, such as those these closures are trying to address, cannot be one-note — they require study, cooperation, and a proper assessment of a community’s needs and problems. As such, government agencies must work in tandem to ensure all rights are protected and fulfilled, without sacrificing one for another," the STTICLICI said.
https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1082563
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.