DepEd: Graduation Fee Not Complusory

The Department of Education (DepEd) reiterated that public school administrators should not force parents to pay graduation fee or any fees that are related to graduation. This announcement by the DepEd was made after the department was rained with complaints from parents who disagreed to the collection of graduation fees of some public schools.

The issue about graduation fee as this school year is about to end at the months of March and April. Graduation fees are normally collected in high school and elementary schools to be used as funds for the graduation rites at the end of every school year. With the continued rising of the prices of basic commodities, parents see the graduation fee as just unnecessary burden on their part.

No Fund for the Graduation Rites

School administrators stressed however that the graduation fees being collected is needed for the graduating students to have respectable graduation rites. The fund generated from graduation rites will be used to pay for the rental of the sound system, decorations, rental of additional seats for the parents and students, and other things needed for the graduation rites.

They also stressed that the collection of graduation of graduation fees were only made after a proper consultation with the parents.

Many parents do not accept the exorbitant amount of graduation fees that some public schools collects, which sometimes as high as 800 Pesos. DepEd stressed that schools are only allowed to collect a maximum of 200 Pesos on a voluntary basis. Parents that cannot pay the graduation fee should not be forced to do so.

Candidates are Barred

DepEd also reminded school administrators that inviting political candidates as guest speakers during graduation rites is prohibited. The prohibition was made to avoid graduation rites to be politicized.