Principal, teacher may be held liable for using rooms

The principal and teachers of Kawit Elementary School in Medellin who allowed the holding of classes in a classroom that is yet to be turned over to the Department of Education (DepEd) might be held liable.

Dr. Arden Monisit, DepEd provincial schools division superintendent, said  he discovered that the classroom in Kawit Elementary School was already being used by students but he did not receive any report from the school principal about it.

“I did not receive a report from the school’s principal that a classroom that hasn’t been turned over yet was already being used,” he said.
Monisit dispatched a set of engineers yesterday to check if the students were still using the classroom.

He recommended that the students be brought to temporary learning shelters instead.

“We don’t want the students damaging a classroom that hasn’t been turned over yet and we don’t want to jeopardize their safety,” he said.
The liability of the teachers or the principal will be determined once the engineers submit their report, said Monisit.

Monisit said they could not use if the classroom is really substandard as described by  Provincial Rehabilitation Czar Baltazar Tribunalo who visited the school about two months ago.

“Only when it is turned over can we make pronouncements whether or not it is really substandard,” he said.

The project is funded by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and was contracted to Rovilla Construction.

He added that if the teachers or principal refused to move the children to learning shelters, they will be made liable for any further damage to the structure.