1,200 private schools allowed to increase tuition

By: Dona Z. Pazzibugan - 11 years ago

INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—More than 1,200 schools have so far been allowed to increase tuition this school year, including private elementary and secondary schools in typhoon-battered Visayas, the Department of Education (DepEd) announced on Friday.

Tuition rate increases ranged from 1.3 percent to up to 35 percent in 1,299 schools in 13 regions in the country, with the higher range approved for schools in the Visayas. Some 178 other schools were disallowed for failing to complete their documentary requirements.

DepEd has not yet released data from Central Visayas (Region 7), the Davao Region (Region 11), the Cordillera Administrative Region and the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao.

The tuition rate increases ranged from 5 to 21 percent in the Ilocos Region; 1.3 to 9.5 percent in Cagayan Valley; 5.8 to 10 percent in Mimaropa; 4 to 20 percent in Northern Mindanao; and 6 percent in Soccsksargen, according to DepEd.

In Metro Manila, tuition hike approvals in all 172 schools averaged 8 percent.

In Western Visayas (Region 6), all 311 schools that sought DepEd’s permission were allowed to increase their tuition by 5 to 35 percent. In Eastern Visayas (Region 8), the region most devastated by Supertyphoon “Yolanda” last November, 11 schools also got similar approvals to raise their fees while eight other schools were disallowed.