ANTIQUE – Students, parents and teachers of Laua-an National High School (NHS) in this province are appealing for a new school principal who does not abuse administrative power and knows how to manage a school effectively.
On Sept. 19, the students and the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) held a protest seeking the ouster of current school principal Venus Divinia Nietes.
“The relationship between the school administrator, the students, the parents, and the teachers [is important]… Ako mismo naghambal sa iya [Nietes] to step down voluntarily for the common good,” said Laua-an’s Mayor Aser Baladhay.
Baladjay said he feared for the students’ welfare, especially since some reportedly had suicidal tendencies because of the situation in the school.
“I am for the general welfare sang aton kabataan, sang aton maestra. Dapat ma-step down na sia,” the mayor said in an interview with DYRI RMN Iloilo yesterday morning.
Nietes could not be reached for comment as of this writing.
Teachers met with Baladjay last week to air their concerns.
“Ginhimu sang parents nag-request sang school record for (the) transfer (of their children to other schools),” said the mayor.
Baladjay said he had informed Schools Division Office (SDO) of Antique superintendent Nicasio S. Frio about what’s happening, and the superintendent assured him of extending technical assistance to affected teachers and learners.
But Baladjay hoped the SDO-Antique or the Department of Education (DepEd) Region 6, headed by Dr. Ramir Uytico, would make a more drastic move.
He also plans to seek the help of DepEd secretary and Vice President Sara Duterte.
For his part, Uytico said the regional office afforded immediate technical and legal assistance to the SDO-Antique.
The DepEd regional director added they are waiting for additional documents to be provided by the provincial office for a clearer picture of the circumstances.
“Above all these, to protect the interests of the learners, SDO-Antique, through Schools Division Superintendent Nicasio S. Frio and Assistant Schools Division Superintendent Adonis A. Mosquera, was directed to resume normalcy in the said school with the support of its stakeholders,” Uytico also said.
According to Baladjay, the number of enrollees at Laua-an NHS decreased by 500 since Nietes became the head.
“Ang history sang gin-assign sia sa Culasi, gin-petisyonan. Tapos ginsaylo sa Tobias Fornier, nagkasohanay man sila sang parents and teachers,” added Mayor Baladjay.
SDO-Antique’s official statement
According to Frio, a special committee has been created to take charge of all concerns at the Laua-an NHS.
A formal administrative complaint was filed by identified teachers against the principal, which is now pending resolution before the regional director’s office.
“Technical assistance is continuously provided not only by the concerned units of the Schools Division Office but also by the two lawyers of the Regional Legal Unit. Thus, it can be said that this matter has been given the utmost preferential treatment by the whole agency,” read part of SDO-Antique’s statement.
It added they could not discuss the merits of the administrative complaint to avoid preempting the regional director’s decision as the disciplining authority.
Meanwhile, for the request for the immediate transfer of the said principal, the SDO-Antique is carefully studying the measure.
“This office is bound by the prohibitive rules of the Commission on Elections in the light of the conduct of the forthcoming elections,” the statement further read.
Likewise, measures are also being undertaken to address the mental well-being of all those concerned and for the immediate return to school and resumption of classes, it added.
“Let us at all times respect the established procedures not only of the Department of Education but the duly constituted authorities as well. In exercising our rights, let us take heed of its limitations, for everything we do has corresponding consequences under the law. The Department of Education Schools Division of Antique is working towards the immediate resolution of this matter within the bounds set forth by law,” it added./PN
