DepEd recovers P65M from erring private schools in SHS voucher program

The Department of Education (DepEd) said Wednesday that approximately P65 million has been recovered from schools that were fagged for irregularities in Senior High School Voucher Program (SHS-VP) claims for School Years (SY) 2021-2022 and 2022-2023.

The DepEd said that of the 54 schools terminated from the SHS-VP, a total of 38 have fully refunded the government while two have made partial refunds.

Meanwhile, 14 schools have yet to return the funds, and final demand letters will be issued to ensure compliance.

The DepEd said that further investigation is needed to determine whether these financial irregularities constitute fraud.

For SY 2023-2024, a total of 12 schools are currently under investigation by DepEd’s Investigation Division while three schools, flagged by the Government Assistance and Subsidies Service (GASS), have also been forwarded to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) for parallel investigation.

The DepEd, in coordination with the Private Education Assistance Committee (PEAC), already enforced measures to enhance oversight and accountability starting School Year (SY) 2024-2025.

Among these efforts include cross-referencing and verification of information and the conduct of 100% system audit as well as random field visits to participating private schools.

Education Secretary Sonny Angara said these interventions prevented the release of inconsistent or questionable claims moving forward.

“We are taking decisive steps to strengthen our validation processes, hold erring schools accountable, and restore public trust in the SHS Voucher Program,” Angara said in a press statement. — Anna Felicia Bajo/RSJ, GMA Integrated News