Politicians told: Keep out of graduation rites

CEBU CITY , Philippines   –  Education Secretary Jesli Lapus appealed to politicians not to use graduation ceremonies as venues for their campaign.

Lapus said commencement exercises should be memorable, solemn, simple and free from politics.

“Graduation ceremonies should not be political events,” Lapus said in an interview here last Friday.

While the Department of Education (DepEd) does not prohibit schools from inviting politicians as graduation guest speakers, Lapus said politicians must speak on something that will inspire the graduates and not talk about their opponents or platform.

He, however, admitted that this is very hard to implement.

Lapus advised the public not to vote for politicians who take advantage of graduations for their own interests.

“All of us remember our graduation day. We want to remember it as a special event, that what we hear and see during that day is pleasant and full of positive energy,” he said.

Lapus also advised schools to hold rites in their campuses instead of at expensive venues.

“We would like graduation to be solemn and austere so that all children will be able to actively participate regardless of whether or not their parents are financially capable,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Teacher’s Dignity Coalition (TDC), a nationwide group of public school teachers, said they are convinced that the precinct count optical scan (PCOS) machines are user-friendly after participating in a two-day training on the automated election system (AES).

“Generally, the feedback is positive. We think the AES is okay,” said TDC president Banjamin Basas.

“The technology is not difficult to learn and understand. The PCOS machines are easy to operate. Even the older teachers said they did not have a difficult time operating the machines,” he said.

Basas, a teacher from Baesa High School in Caloocan City, was among hundreds of teachers from Caloocan and Malabon who attended the training this week. - Freeman News Service, Rainier Allan Ronda