INHS stops imposing workbook use on studes
The Iloilo National High School
Students at Iloilo National High School (INHS) who have yet to buy workbooks for their different subjects need not worry anymore as the use of workbooks in said school had been ordered stopped.
Dr. Myrna Castillo, Assistant Schools Division Superintendent of Iloilo, told The News Today in an interview yesterday that she had met with the principal and department heads of INHS on Monday to remind them of the existing department orders of the Department of Education (DepEd) relative to the use of workbooks.
Castillo invoked Department Order No. 38 dated June 7, 2007 entitled "Reiteration of the moratorium on the procurement of supplementary and reference materials".
"The said department order is still in effect so any imposition on the use of workbooks for students is illegal," Castillo said.
Mr. Mario Celo, principal of INHS, confirmed that they had attended the said meeting. In fact, he said, first hour in the morning yesterday he sent notices to all INHS teachers to stop imposing on their students the use of workbooks.
Celo, however, said that students who had already bought their workbooks could use it for their personal benefit. He said they could no longer return it.
Celo noted that workbooks, which had been in use at INHS for the last five years, aid the students in their learning.
"Well, we have to stop it since it is the DepEd's order," said Celo.
The News Today learned that INHS has been requiring students to have workbooks in almost all subjects from first year to fourth year. Workbooks are priced from as low as P170 to as high as P310 each.
One parent, who refused to be identified, said students are directed by their teachers to buy the workbooks only at the school's cooperative store. Students are also not allowed to have the workbooks photocopied.
The parent said for one school year a single student could spend as much as P1,500 just for workbooks.
"It's a really a burden on our pockets, just imagine if you have three students studying at INHS at the same time," the parent added.
An official of the INHS Parents-Teachers Association (PTA), who spoke on condition of anonymity, was glad that the imposition of workbooks on students was stopped.
"It's a victory on the part of us parents," the PTA official said, adding that they have been complaining about it for a long time.
The PTA official added that the workbooks were compulsorily required by the teachers on their students since the time of former INHS principal Riza Amaguin. Some of the workbooks were even authored by Amaguin herself.
The source surmised that the teachers could be getting a share in the sales of the workbook as they require it on their students. The source noted that the workbooks could only be bought at the cooperative in which the teachers themselves are part of.