DepEd: Amount of increase in some schools ‘not that big’
Aside from worrying about the money to buy school supplies and uniforms of their children, parents will also have to dig deeper in their pockets as most private schools are increasing their tuition this school year. (CDN FILE PHOTO)
Expect higher tuition and other fees for preschool, elementary and high school in 89 private schools in Cebu.
The Department of Education (DepEd) in Central Visayas endorsed to Education Secretary Armin Luistro on Friday a list of private schools asking to raise fees for school year 2015-2016.
The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) earlier announced the approval of higher tuition in several universities and colleges in the region.
Based on the DepEd list, 28 schools in Cebu City will be raising tuition and other fees for preschool, elementary and high school.
Classes in private schools will start June 8, a week after the public schools open.
Tuition and other fees will also go up in seven schools in Mandaue, five in Lapu-Lapu, five in Talisay, one in Naga, two in Carcar, three in Toledo and three in Bogo. In other parts of Cebu province, 35 schools will be raising their fees.
The increase ranges from 3 percent to as high as 341 percent.
Dr. Marcial Degamo, chief of DepEd 7 Quality Assurance Division, said almost 200 private schools filed an application for a tuition increase. Around 20 were rejected for failure to comply with the requirements.
Degamo justified the huge jump in tuition and other fees in some schools.
He said the new average tuition and fees in these schools are “not that big.” He also noted that the schools with the large increases have not raised their tuition and fees for several years.
School fees on top of the tuition include those for dental services and other miscellaneous expenses.
Degamo said, however, that the higher tuition may force some students to transfer to public schools.
“We expect more transferees, but we can not tell the percentage for now,” Degamo said.
Among the schools with a huge jump in annual tuition and other fees are the Pardo and Minglanilla campuses of the University of the Visayas, and the main and Basak campuses of Southwestern University.
These schools, however, charge less than P20,000.00 for tuition and between P5,000.00 and P10,000.00 for other fees.
Based on the list, the most expensive school is Bethany Christian School in Guadalupe. It will raise tuition and other fees by only 5 percent in all levels.
The University of San Carlos – Montessori Academy, north campus and south campus – will raise tuition by 8 percent to more than 12 percent. Other school fees will be higher by up to 58.61 percent.
The University of San Jose Recoletos will increase tuition and other fees by 6 to more than 7 percent while the University of Cebu, both in the main and METC campuses, will raise charges by 4 to 5 percent.
Colegio de la Inmaculada Concepcion will impose a 5-percent increase in tuition and an increase of 7 to 11 percent for the other fees.
A total of 137 schools in Central Visayas have requested DepEd for a tuition increase. They comprise less than a fifth of the estimated 800 private schools in the region.
Of these, 89 are in Cebu, 28 in Bohol, seven in Negros Oriental, one in Siquijor, six in Dumaguete City and six in Tagbilaran City.
Some 33 other schools notified DepEd that they will not be increasing their tuition this school year.
Degamo said confirmation of a zero increase is necessary for the schools to attract students.
Such confirmation is also a requirement for accreditation to the Government Assistance for Students-Teachers in Private Educations/ Educational Service Contracting (GASTPE/ESC) program.
Under this program, poor but deserving students will be enrolled in private schools with assistance from the government.
Currently, there are about 4,000 students in Central Visayas who have availed of this program.
“Other schools just wanted to have a confirmation of no tuition increase,” Degamo said.
DepEd confirms tuition increase applications of private schools in the preschool, elementary and secondary levels. CHED is in charge of the tertiary schools.
Under the DepEd guidelines, private schools must submit supporting documents showing that a consultation was conducted like the memorandum calling for the meeting, the minutes of the meeting and the attendance.
Proceeds from the increase will be divided as follows: 70 percent for teachers’ salary increase, 20 percent for improvement of school facilities and 10 percent return of investments.