IF even the Department of Education or DepEd, the supposed model for uprightness and moulder of the young, can get itself enmeshed in corruption allegations over such otherwise “minor” item as test booklets ( no matter its officials’ Pontius Pilate act of passing the blame on Parents-Teachers Associations) what more moral ascendancy can our teachers offer to their wards?

Superintendents, supervisors, principals, head teachers and ordinary teachers now find their collective integrity shot through and through with the widespread talks and reports of parents and pupils becoming the “milking cows” of scheming DepEd field personnel.

As though the similarly loud, though largely unproven, charges of teacher plantilla items being up for sale by unscrupulous ranking authorities were not enough, this latest scandal affecting the department puts it in the league of other discredited public institutions such as Customs, internal revenue, public works and highways, etc. In fairness to the latter agencies however, money collection and disbursement is part of their job and the temptation can be dubbed as “natural,” though, of course not necessarily conscionable.

DepEd officials, by the simple nature of their mandate, to teach the young and make them responsible citizens of the republic however, should be the last to be found guilty, or even just perceived as guilty, of violating the very rules of honesty and discipline that they instill daily to the children.

At the hearing on the test booklet mess conducted by the provincial board, it was a sad commentary on the bad image that the agency has fallen into when, in their earnest desire to extricate themselves from any fault, the ‘good’ mentors were practically falling over each other in pointing the finger at the PTCAs as the “collector” of the test booklet fees, not them. No sir, not them.

We can only wish they will remember to wipe the pie smudges off their faces and fingernails before saying that.