26 private elementary, high schools raise fees

CEBU CITY—Parents in Central and Eastern Visayas will have to brace for increases in tuition this coming school year.

At least 26 private elementary and secondary schools as well as preschools would raise tuition and other fees from 4 to 42 percent, said Marcial Degamo, chief of the Department of Education-Central Visayas’   quality assurance and accountability division.

In Eastern Visayas, five private high schools would increase their tuition by 8.33 percent to 30 percent, Rhodora Sison, chief of the Department of Education-Region 8’s quality, assurance and accountability division, said on Friday.

Requirements

Schools seeking increase in tuition and other fees have to submit a letter of intent and the minutes and resolutions of the parent-teacher association meeting showing that the parents and the students were consulted and agreed with the increase.

The schools were also required to submit the documents of compliance of the last implementation of the tuition increase showing that the 70 percent of the increase went to the pay hike of the teachers, 20 percent for the improvement of the school’s facilities and 10 percent for return of investment.

Rates of increase

Of the 26 schools, St. Thomas Aquinas School, an elementary school based in Barangay Bulacao in the city is implementing a 17-percent increase in tuition (from P13,500 to P15,916.67) and a 110-percent increase in other fees, such as laboratory and dental fees, from P5,000 to P10,535.

The St. Thomas Aquinas pre-school level will ask for 31.17-percent average increase for its tuition (from P13,500 to P14,000) and other fees (from P5,000 to P10,266.67).

The other schools that will increase their fees include Saint William Cooperative School in Catmon town, Cebu, (28.46 percent), the Saceda Youth Lead School in Candau-ay town, Dumaguete City, (27 percent) and the Divine Life Institute of Cebu Inc. in Barangay Yati, Liloan town, Cebu, (20 percent), among others.

Lack of requirements

The five schools in Eastern Visayas that would increase their tuition  are Sto. Niño Academy (8.33 percent) in Malibog town and  Christo Rey Regional High School (30 percent) in Saint Bernard town, both in Southern Leyte; Saint Michael Academy (8.33 percent) in Catarman, Northern Samar; Holy Cross Academy (8.33 percent) in Carigara and Holy Child Parish (15 percent) in Isabel, both in Leyte.

Only five of the more than 10 schools that have sought fee increases were granted approval. The rest still lack requirements, Sison said.

She said the schools with pending applications for tuition hike have until April 30 to resubmit their applications.