DepEd allows 260 schools to raise tuition

The Department of Education (DepEd) has allowed 260 schools to increase their tuition fees by five to 15 percent for school year 2013 to 2014.

 

DepEd Assistant Secretary Toni Umali told Unang Balita host Arnold Clavio Tuesday morning that the tuition hike for 182 private and elementary schools and 78 private high schools in Metro Manila were approved.

 

Umali said that the schools conducted a consultation with the parents of their students before the tuition hike application was submitted to DepEd.

 

“'Yung konsultasyon doon malalaman ng mga paaralan kung tatanggapin [ang tuition hike] dahil mararamdaman nila kung mawawalan sila ng mga mag-aaral o hindi,” Umali explained.

 

He added that these processes all go through the DepEd and are for their approval.

 

“Lahat po ng aplikasyon para sa pagtataas ng matrikula ay kailangan pong aprubahan ng ating DepEd regional offices. At tayo po ay nagtatakda kung ano pong porsyento nitong tinaas nila, at saan po dapat ito mapunta,” Umali said.

 

Umali said the tuition increase should be allocated to three things, namely, the salaries of teachers, facility improvements, and revenue.

 

“Dapat po 70 porsyento nito, hindi bababa doon, ay mapunta sa pagtaas ng sahod ng ating mga guro. At 'yung 30 pursyento ay mapunta sa [improvement ng] facilities,” Umali said.

 

He added that schools have the option to allocate 10 percent of the 30 percent facility budget for their revenue if approved by DepEd.

 

The DepEd reviews tuition hike applications to check whether the earnings from the tuition increase are actually allocated in the proper school budget.

 

Different hike rates

 

Umali said that the tuition hikes for school was not a blanket increase but was on a case to case basis.

 

“Dito po sa Metro Manila, halimbawa, karamihan nang magtataas ay nasa anim hanggang sampung porsyento,” he said. “Ngunit meron din na-apply na inaprubahan nang hanggang 15 porsyento.”

 

He said that the schools allowed to increase their tuition fees only account for around six percent of private elementary and high schools in Metro Manila.

 

Less than last year

 

Umali noted that there was a decrease in the schools approved by the DepEd to raise their tuition fees this year as compared to last year.

 

“Out of 933 schools, 78 lang ang ating napagbigyan. Noong nakaraang taon, nasa humigit kumulang 117 po 'yan,” Umali said.

 

He added that this was natural since schools won't risk raising their tuition fees too high which may result in students dropping out.
 

“'Yan naman po talaga ang nangyayari dahil nakikita po ng mga may-ari ng pribadong mga paaralan na 'pag masyadong mataas ang kanilang matrikula, mawawala [ang kanilang mag-aaral],” Umali said.

 

GASTPE program

 

Meanwhile, the DepEd's Government Assistance to Students and Teachers in Private Education (GASTPE) program provides financial support for public school students. 

 

The program aims to decongest secondary public schools by giving financial aid to deserving students so they could enrol in a private school.

 

According to Umali, P10,500 is provided for each student in the GASTPE program in the National Capital Region while P6,000 is provided to each student in other regions. 

 

But he said that the GASTPE program has certain criteria such as the location of the school in proximity to a student's home and the tuition fee of the private school, among others.

 

There were 634,860 students who were able to study in 2,860 participating private secondary schools for school year 2011 to 2012 funded by a P3.61 billion budget, according to the DepEd site. —Andrei Medina/KG, GMA News