Parents whose child is about to enter pre-school for the first time should read this.
In a previous interview with Mr. Eleazardo Kasilag, president of the Federation of Association of Private School Administrators in the NCR, he said parents should be guided to choose the “right” school for their kid.
These are the following things to look for:
1. Must have the feature of a regular classroom (definitely not just a garage or a rented-room-turned classroom).
2. Must have complete visual kits, poster of Panatang Makabayan, crucifix and picture of the present President of the Republic.
3. Must have a library of books written by Filipino authors.
4. DEPED also requires a school to have an ample ground or field where pupils can play and hold Physical Education Classes and other related activities. The lot size must not be smaller than 350 square meters.
5. Permits (either marked with stamped pad or a dry seal) issued by the DEPED should be displayed on areas where it can easily be seen by parents and visitors.
6. The permit must have the corresponding government receipt that indicates the number and location of the school.
7. Children-per-classroom ratio should be one child for every 1.2 square meters. The UNESCO figure is 35 children per classroom.
8. Based on Republic Act 7636 or the Professionalization of Teachers, a qualified pre-school teacher must have passed the board examination for teachers.
Questions parents hesitate to ask
1. Parents should be able to know where the tuition paid every month or every school year would go. The same thing applies for tuition increases.
— The school administrator must be able to consult the matter first with parents before any ruling on tuition hike is implemented.
2. Refer to attributes. These are the basic things/observation some parents ask from school administrator.
Rationale for proliferation of illegal pre-schools
Failure of parents to ask or voice out their concern about the school their children are enrolling in is just like tolerating the illegal activities of the school.
Where to report bogus pre-schools
DEPED has the sole jurisdiction on the monitoring of basic education institutions, including pre-schools.
If parents doubted the school’s legality, they may call DEPED Division Office in their locality and look for DEPED coordinator for private schools.
Preschool kids
It’s always a big picnic everyday at school. But after children have graduated from pre-school, they must be able to read and write their names, distinguish colors, tell time and count from 1 to 100. An example of a learning center that provides kids the opportunity to develop their own skills is called the HighPointe Academy formerly Bullfrogs & Butterflies Childcare.
Towards the right direction (for pre-school administrators)
“It feels good to be always on the right direction. We can hardly do this if we are on the wrong path. How can we take up values if we are illegal,” Kasilag said of unregistered pre-schools.