‘No uniform’ policy also applies to high school - DepEd chief

MANILA, Philippines - President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's order scrapping the wearing of school uniforms also includes those in public high schools, Education Secretary Jesli Lapus said Tuesday. In a chance interview, however, Lapus said that there is also no problem if public high school students who have already bought their uniforms would wear them in school. "If they have already bought their uniforms, they can wear them. Besides, uniforms last long," Lapus told reporters. On Monday, President Arroyo ordered the Department of Education (DepEd) to allow incoming Grade 1 pupils from poor families to attend school even without the proper uniform. Mrs Arroyo said she had learned that some students cannot enter Grade 1 because their parents could not afford to buy them the required uniforms. She said what is important is that the students get a decent education. The President said that if ever the proposed policy is implemented, like in the United States , the financial burdens of parents would be lightened as they would not have to struggle for money to afford school uniforms for their children. "The scrapping of uniform is part of fighting for education to help parents keep their children in school without even worrying about buying uniforms," President Arroyo said. - GMANews.TV