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Parents blow a whistle on SPED admission

We are parents of incoming Grade I pupils who took the qualifying examinations at the Special Education (SPED) Center Baguio for Fast Learners of February 4, 2006. The examinations required a cut-off passing score of 110 in order to qualify. As it turned out, our children were unable to attain the cut-off score. However, since the total number of passers were below the targeted number of pupils to be admitted, we initially brought an appeal before the school principal Mr. Fi-an B. Siding on February 22 to conditionally admit our children with a commitment that our children satisfactorily meet the academic requirements for Grade I to be allowed to move to Grade II.

Principal Siding’s response on March 9, 2006 was to deny our appeal citing it might set a precedent for future appeals of this nature. However, a Division Memorandum released on April 11, 2006 by City Schools Superintendent Ellen B. Donato allowed the admission of students with scores raging from 108-109 on condition that parents must sign a waiver to pull the children out of the fast learner class if they fail to cope with learning standards.

This much is clear and would not have elicited a complaint from us if we did not learn later on that the school admitted enrollees with scores below 108 to as low as 100. This clearly runs counter with the Division Memorandum and has severely compromised the so-called “standards” set forth by the school when they administered the qualifying examinations.

All efforts on our part to seek an explanation from the principal on why this was allowed to take place were unceremoniously dismissed.

In the absence of a clear explanation from authorities at SPED Center Baguio on this seeming irregularity in their policies, we submit this open letter to inform the public of this situation in the hope that it will elicit some measure of resolution so as not to erode our faith in an institution which is reputed to be catering to quality education.

Thank you very much.

Very truly yours,
Signed by 15 concerned parents

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