DepEd hikes grants to private schools

MANILA, Philippines—The Department of Education has doubled the number of scholarships it is giving deserving public school students to study in private schools, as part of DepEd efforts to decongest the public schools.

Beneficiaries are close to 400,000 Grade 7 (the new First Year High School) students going back to class this month.

Education Secretary Armin Luistro said 377,227 scholarships were available for incoming Grade 7 pupils, nearly twice last year’s 190,536 grants, under the Government Assistance to Students and Teachers in Private Education (Gastpe) program.

The Gastpe is a subsidy program in which the government pays the tuition for deserving students in crowded public schools to enroll in private schools. Not only are the public schools decongested, the students get the benefit of a private school education. Public school heads nominate the students to the program.