Private education panel chief says subsidy will decide tuition fees

There will be no substantial increase in tuition while the country reels from the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, the Co-ordinating Council of Private Educational Associations (Cocopea) has said.
 “I don’t think there will be a substantial increase (on tuition fees) or if there is even any considered at this point,” Cocopea Managing Director Joseph Noel Estrada said in a television interview.
Estrada, however, said the coming weeks would be crucial in determining tuition hikes because the group relies heavily on the government’s subsidy under the voucher programme known as the “Government Assistance to Students and Teachers in Private Education.”
The increase would depend “on the assistance and support that the government can extend to the private education sector and more particularly on the capability of the students and of course the resources of the school personnel,” he said.
The Department of Education (DepEd) earlier said that private schools might increase their tuition and other fees for school year 2020-2021 upon the approval of its regional offices.
Based on the existing policy on tuition increase, the government agency requires private schools intending to have higher tuition fees to submit necessary documentation that proves consultation among the stakeholders have occurred.
Meanwhile, Estrada said the education sector must shift to flexible learning programmes and other options for students amid the pandemic.
He said 60% of private schools under Cocopea “have already manifested their readiness to open the school year using flexible learning options between June and August.
The DepEd earlier announced that face-to-face classes would only be allowed starting August 24 if health standards and protocols have been duly approved by the Department of Health.
Cocopea is composed of more than 2,500 educational institutions and is represented by the Philippine Association of Private Schools, Colleges and Universities; Philippine Association of Colleges and Universities; Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines; Association of Christian Schools Colleges and Universities; and Technical Vocational Schools Association of the Philippines.



from Gulf Times https://ift.tt/3dHiSxX