Private schools at risk on K +12 Basic Ed Program

DUMAGUETE CITY , Philippines   â€“ The country’s higher education institutions (HEIs), especially in the private sector, stand to be at a losing proposition in the first few years of the implementation of the K plus 12 Basic Education Program of the government.

This was confirmed by Don Brodeth, a consultant for various tertiary schools and a management specialist, who last Wednesday urged administration officials and key representatives from the Catholic private schools in this city and Negros Oriental province to brace for the worst.

The private HEIs will be losing an estimated P158-billion in finances and about 3.3 million drop in class enrolment spread over five years although this will only be temporary, Brodeth said, adding however that they can bounce back if given the option to adopt and offer the senior high school (SHS) curriculum.

Brodeth said the private HEIs face a dilemma because, while they would benefit from offering SHS to students, there will come a time when DepEd would be able to build more classrooms, hire more teachers and in general, offer SHS itself at little or no cost on the students.

Because SHS is part of secondary education, the Constitution stipulates that it has to be free, Brodeth said, explaining thus: The impact of the K plus 12 Program on HEIs is “quite severe.”

The national government has projected to address the DepEd’s shortages by the end of 2013, but other sectors believed that this is unattainable, he said.

The Coordinating Council of Private Educational Associations (COCOPEA) thought it would take at least five years for government to be able to address DepEd’s deficits while other sectors are saying this can be achieved in 15 to 16 years, Brodeth said.

Doris Ferrer of the Catholic Education Association of the Philippines (CEAP) disclosed in the same planning workshop that DepEd’s shortages include 31,281 classrooms, 32,629 teachers, 62.1 million textbooks and 1.3 million seats.

Another predicament that private HEIs will be facing would be the foreseen migration of teachers to public schools, which offer higher wages. However, considering that the government has already enforced salary adjustments for its teachers, it is expected that, in four years, there shall be no additional hike in wages for public school teachers, Ferrer said.

Ferrer also said there is now a need for K to 12 Bill to be passed into law in order to protect it before the 2016 presidential polls. A law will ensure that the program will be implemented even with a new president, adding that the final bill is now ready though for transmission to and for the signature of the President, she said.

Ferrer further said the government however is not capable of building classrooms and meeting the logistical and manpower requirements for the full implementation of the K to 12 Program once it becomes a law.

Brodeth and Ferrer were resource speakers on “K + 12: Effects, Planning, Framework and Possible Resources,” an activity aimed to prepare the Catholic HEIs here on the impacts of the program once fully implemented.

Represented in the workshop were the host school Colegio de Catherina de Alejandria (COSCA), St. Paul University-Dumaguete, St. Joseph Seminary College, La Consolacion College, Carmel College, Catherina Cittadini-St. Louis School, Metro Dumaguete College and Holy Cross High School.

Another follow-up workshop will follow soon to further enlighten and prepare these private Catholic HEIs for the K plus 12 program.  (FREEMAN)