DepEd defends tuition hike

MANILA, Philippines - An official of the Department of Education (DepEd) defended yesterday the agency’s decision to approve tuition increase for 260 private elementary and high schools in Metro Manila this school year.

DepEd Assistant Secretary Tonisito Umali said the additional fees would be used to raise teachers’ salaries and improve school facilities.

In an interview with ANC, Umali said the number of schools granted tuition hikes account for only a small percentage of the total number of schools that filed petitions for higher fees.

DepEd earlier reported a total of 182 private kindergarten and elementary schools and 78 private secondary schools in the National Capital Region had been given the go-signal to raise their tuition and other fees.

It said there are 933 secondary schools and 2,118 kindergarten and elementary schools in Metro Manila.

However, Umali said students who still want to enroll in private schools may avail themselves of the DepEd’s tuition subsidy program for incoming Grade 7 students under the education service contracting scheme (ESC).

The department has increased by 24 percent the number of slots for Grade 7 students availing themselves of tuition subsidy in private schools – up from 250,896 slots in school year 2012-2013 to 310,709 slots for school year 2013-2014.

The ESC is a scheme under the Government Assistance to Students and Teachers in Private Education (GASTPE) where the government subsidizes the tuition of students who enroll in private schools because public secondary schools cannot accommodate them anymore.

Based on the 2010 Manual of Regulations of the DepEd, 70 percent of any tuition hike should go to the upgrading of teachers’ salaries, 20 percent for the improvement of school facilities and equipment, and 10 percent as return on investment of the school owners.

Last school year, the DepEd allowed 117 private secondary schools and 128 private kindergarten and elementary schools in the NCR to increase fees.