Tuition hike may worsen classroom shortage

The Department of Education (DepEd) in Central Visayas is expecting about 60,000 more students in public pre-schools, elementary and high schools as 129 private schools increase fees for school year 2013-2014.

DepEd 7 Quality Assurance and Accountability Division chief Dr. Marcial Degamo said DepEd is ready to accept these transferees from private schools.

Last school year, Degamo said the increase in public school population was 2.5 percent. This year this may increase to 4 percent of the 1.5 million student populace of the region’s public school system. That translates to about 60,000 transferees from the private schools.

“We are ready and we anticipate the increase of the number of students because of the tuition fee increases in some private schools”, Degamo said.

Degamo said the DepEd 7 has added 600 classroom in the region and hired 5,000 new teachers.

But the increase in the number of classrooms may not be enough to meet rising demands. The shortage of the highly urbanized cities in Cebu, Cebu and Lapu-Lapu cities is already about 1,400 classroom.

Vice Mayor Joy Augustus Young of Cebu City earlier said that the actual classroom shortage of the city is about 1,000 classrooms. Lapu-Lapu City has a shortage of about 400 classrooms. (See related story.)

There are around 700 private schools across the region and Degamo said DepEd 7 has confirmed the applications for tuition fee and miscellaneous fee increases for 129 private schools after they were able to submit the requirements that includes the holding of consultation with parents.

The increase will range from 2.22 percent to 40 percent for basic tuition. For other fees, the increase ranges from 0.51 to 56 percent.

Of the 129 private schools, 80 schools are based in Cebu; 35 in Bohol, 9 in Negros Oriental and 5 in Siquijor.

The biggest tuition increase will be implemented by St Andres School in Amlan Negros Oriental at 40 percent, while the biggest increase for miscellaneous fees will be implemented by Santo Niño Institute in Getafe Bohol at 56 percent.

The Lyceum de San Sebastian in Compostela town in northern Cebu will increase its tuition by 27.04 percent. Another 27 percent for other fees.

Degamo said the schools that asked for huge increases did not raise fees in the past three to five years.

“The percentage may appear high, but if you translate it in real figures, the increases are really reasonable,” he added.

He cited as an example the St Anthony’s Academy in Carmen Bohol which asked for 33.33 percent increase in tuition fee. But the increase only corresponds to an additional of more than P1,000 in one year.

Based on DepEd guidelines, 70 percent of the increase should go to teachers’ salary increase; 20 percent for improvement of school facilities; and 10 percent return of investment.

Degamo asked parents to report to DepEd if any school implements an increase without the confirmation from DEpEd.

The DepEd confirmation should be posted in the school where the students and parents can easily read it.

Degamo said if a complaint is filed, their grievance committee will conduct an ocular inspection to determine if the school should be sanctioned.