THE founder of the University of Cebu (UC) yesterday said the increase in tuition and other school fees this year is needed to allow the school to raise the salaries of teachers and to improve facilities.
UC president Augusto W. Go said they have to raise the salary of teachers or risk losing them to the public school system, which offers competitive pay.
“First, we have to raise the salary of teachers because we can not compete with the government salary. If we don’t, they will transfer to the public schools,” Go said.
Newly hired public school teachers receive P18,000 basic pay and a P2,000 allowance.
Go said senior teachers in UC campuses have higher salaries.
He clarified that the increase in tuition and school fees, an average of 5 percent in all levels, will apply only to incoming first year students.
The UC-Main campus was granted an increase of 4.99 percent for tuition and 4.97 percent for other fees in preschool; 5 percent for tuition and 5.02 percent for other fees in elementary; and 5.01 percent for tuition and 4.99 percent for other fees in high school.
With the increase, average tuition at UC Main would be P14,730 for preschool; P15,340 for elementary; and P10,900 for secondary.
At the UC METC campus, the tuition would be P16,620 for preschool; P17,165 for elementary; and P16,590 for the secondary.
Meanwhile, Cebu City Councilor Alvin Dizon said he wants to ensure that private schools, colleges and universities complied with all requirements when they were allowed to implement the increase.
Dizon, who chairs the committee on education, said he was saddened that private schools, colleges and universities raise their tuition every year.
“This is an added financial burden to the parents,” Dizon said.
The Department of Education (DepEd) confirmed on Friday the tuition increases in 89 schools in Cebu. Of this number, 28 are in Cebu City, seven in Mandaue, five in Lapu-Lapu, five in Talisay, one in Naga, two in Carcar, three in Toledo and three in Bogo. The rest are in other parts of Cebu province.
Earlier, the Commission on Higher Education also approved the tuition hike in 28 colleges and universities in Cebu.
Dizon said he plans to invite CHED and DepEd officials before the council. He said it is the responsibility of the local government unit to protect its constituents from high cost of education.
Dizon said he wanted to know if these schools indeed used the proceeds from the tuition fee increase to raise the salaries of their teachers and improve their facilities.