The school year hasn’t officially started yet but problems are already plaguing teachers and parents alike. While public school teachers from rural areas are having a hard time catching up with the demands of digital learning, parents meanwhile are asking: Why are private schools charging lab fees on top of exorbitant tuition when their kids won’t even go to school physically?
[READ: Walang signal: Davao de Oro public school teachers struggle to join webinar, camp upland]This is the same question the Department of Education (DepEd) Undersecretary for Curriculum and Instruction Diosdado San Antonio asked private schools during a Laging Handa briefing after receiving reports about overcharging from concerned parents.
https://www.facebook.com/DepartmentOfEducation.PH/videos/563875934253633/?__xts__%5B0%5D=68.ARC7QHqXYyljIZpsoLAGn6SR50fmzwi3dUzorOFto0hNOS42YsvApbaSmLejuGATxpJect6rAT2-55T9SpK9g48BC-4YUx9soszn-CrcsQHrNY4PrTrtE5qSPOHTAZKqtX77wAhvuMvFJYc_e6ny2DbBOhkBKOXF_KZLkNQkQ0C5-L-Ip_L0dDby9wxXFBtqhbu18ageyyHaacMT-2kLKOIXz7U-eEC7EMt7VZhNn5cn0SARpPxPk2R0uvwTKLVu_Mun_Bp0kF1pMnQ_9cwGT6uTTncdWJtLhBbQcIqE6LfyQOkfU7761m8cLdkCMdQPrk3SPSVKf5Y9YRHBGX_QnRdRDoy1vKs0&__tn__=-R
San Antonio reminded private educational institutions that despite their autonomy, they still owe parents an explanation as to why, for example, they are charging miscellaneous fees when for this school year, students will be on a blended learning scheme.
[READ: What will tuition fees look like in the aftermath of COVID-19?]“Hindi makatwiran, kung halimbawa, maniningil ng laboratory fees at hindi ka naman magpapa-laboratory dahil sa distance learning,” San Antonio said. “’Yung mga ganung pangongolekta ay hindi naman makatarungan na singilin pa ito.”
DepEd believes that the tuition hike and other new charges are “largely internal” and varies per institution, but still, it is important that these changes are made in consultation with parents.
The office of Pampanga Representative Juan Miguel Arroyo said they have also been receiving reports from parents about unreasonable fees, including library, medical and dental, information technology, audiovisual, athletics and insurance despite the fact that there won’t be face-to-face classes.
The rate of enrolment as of June in private schools is lagging behind but is expected to increase since most of these institutions are just opening up registrations, said DepEd.
To date, there are 491,980 students enrolled in private schools nationwide.
DepEd Secretary Leonor Briones assured the public that class opening will push through on Aug. 24 with concessions to private schools, which will be allowed to open late or early as long as it’s within the date prescribed by law.
Header photo by Ivan Aleksic on Unsplash
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Writer: CHRISTIAN SAN JOSE
