Enclosure No. 1 to Regional Memorandum No. _________, s.

2015

GUIDELINES ON THE SELECTION, RETENTION AND FUNCTIONS OF SCHOOL PAPER ADVISERS

A.

Selection of School Paper Advisers

Priority should be given to language teachers (English or Filipino), especially those with previous
experience in school paper advising from other schools, or those who were campus paper
staffers during their undergraduate years.
In cases when language teachers cannot assume the role, those teaching Social Studies can be
appointed; as long as such teachers exhibit potential, enthusiasm and commitment in handling
the school paper.
B. Tenure as School Paper Advisers
Every school paper adviser should be appointed as such for a minimum of five school years.
This is to enable them to acquire the necessary skills needed in school paper advising, which in
turn, will empower them to train students in the various areas in campus journalism and
facilitate the production of comprehensive campus papers.
For this reason, the appointment of a school paper adviser should be taken seriously by the
School Head, after a thorough evaluation of the teachers competencies, attitude and
commitment to effectively carry out the task for a period of at least five years. Upon expiration
of the tenure, the School Head can then decide to appoint a new school paper adviser, or retain
the services of the school paper adviser if they have exhibited exemplary performance and
dedication in the field of campus journalism.
Moreover, as stipulated in DECS Order No. 94, s. 1992, student publication advising
task/assignment shall be considered as one teaching/work load.
C. Number of School Paper Advisers in a School Publication
There should be a minimum of one school paper adviser and a maximum of two school paper
advisers in a school publication, one in English and another one in Filipino, when applicable.
It also follows that if the school has one SPA in English and another SPA in Filipino, there should
be at least two publications (1 English, 1 Filipino) of the school paper in one school year.
D. Functions of School Paper Advisers
Category 1. Recruitment and selection of the editorial staff
1.
Prepares guidelines that include the procedure, criteria, number of staff members
needed by student publication and others on the selection of the editorial board.
2.
Formulates and administers the qualifying examination.
3.
Interviews the aspirants.
4.
Determines the basis for performance appraisal, retention, suspension/expulsion of
staff members.

Category 2. Planning and reporting

1.
Prepares the school paper development plan supportive of the school improvement
plan/annual improvement plan.
2.
Ensures the implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the school paper
development plan.
3.
Consults the concerned department heads and school heads on matters pertaining to
the supervision and administration of the school paper.
4.
Renders periodic reporting to the school administration as regards its operations.
Category 3. Administering school paper staff, finances and facilities
1.
Conducts orientation on the responsibilities and accountabilities of the staff members.
2.
Analyzes editorial board and staffs strengths and weaknesses.
3.
Designs and conducts in-house needed trainings.
4.
Reviews and edits articles of students before publication.
5.
Approves the page design or dummy of school paper before printing.
6.
Ensures that the school paper is delivered on time and distributed properly.
7.
Conducts performance evaluation as basis for recognition, retention,
suspension/expulsion from the organization.
8.
Requests for funds and generates needed resources for the operation of the school
paper.
9.
Manages procurement of needed materials and supplies subject to the approval of
school authorities.
10.
Prepares financial reports after every issue, and at the end of the school year.
11.
Manages the facilities and ensures the safety of the staff and the facilities.
Category 4. Establishing internal and community networks
1.
Involves the community in planning and implementing the school paper improvement
plan to ensure the support of the community.
2.
Establishes a system of advocacy and development of campus journalism in the school
and community level.

Enclosure No. 2 to Regional Memorandum No. _________, s. 2015

TRAINING NEEDS OF SCHOOL PAPER ADVISERS

Category 1. Recruitment and selection of the editorial staff

1. Clear understanding of Republic Act 7079
2. Appropriate coaching/mentoring/facilitation skills
3. Developing qualifying examinations
4. Conducting interviews
5. Protecting students rights
6. Formulating and implementing policies on staff retention, suspension or expulsion
Category 2. Planning and reporting
1. Strategic planning
2. Simplied record keeping and reporting
Category 3. Administering school paper staff, finances and facilities
1. Determining duties and responsibilities of student-writers in line with their designated
positions in the editorial board
2. Teaching/mentoring on news writing, editorial writing, feature writing, editorial cartooning,
sports writing, photo journalism, copyreading and headline writing, radio broadcasting and
scripting, and collaborative publishing
3. Determining the training needs of student-writers
4. Designing and conducting in-house trainings of student-writers based on their identified
needs
5. Page design or page make up/ school paper production
6. Preparing budget and work and financial plan
7. Generating and utilizing resources
8. Procuring of supplies and materials in accordance to existing rules
Category 4. Establishing internal and community networks
1. Designing programs that will involve the school and community
2. Coordinating feedback sessions or discussions