“They are not just beneficial—they are essential and they need to be expanded.”
As a parent who has had children in both public and private schools, and as someone who attended a private Catholic institution myself, I have witnessed firsthand the challenges the Philippine education system faces.
When my youngest child started in the public school system, I quickly realized the gravity of the overcrowding issue. Classrooms were packed, teachers were stretched thin, and resources were scarce. It was a far cry from the private school environment I had grown up in. While public schools do their best, the system is clearly overburdened, with more students enrolling every year.
A key finding of the study on the “Absorptive Capacity of Basic Education in the Philippines Public schools” commissioned by the Private Education Assistance Committee (PEAC) revealed that, “Public schools remain overcrowded and are even more so at higher levels of basic education. Across the three levels over 5.1M of the 24M learners in public schools are aisle learners.”
This is where the programs mandated under Republic Act No. 8545 known as the ‘Expanded Government Assistance to Students and Teachers in Private Education Act’ comes in as a great opportunity for students to attend private schools that have more space and resources available.
The Education Service Contracting (ESC) program under E-GASTPE is an example of how public-private collaboration can reduce the load on public schools. Over 3,600 private schools have participated, absorbing students who would otherwise crowd public classrooms. Smaller class sizes and better resources in private schools create a more conducive learning environment.
But what makes E-GASTPE truly remarkable is not just its ability to ease overcrowding but its impact on the quality of education. The program does more than simply redirect students from public to private schools. It ensures that those private schools are held to high standards, with ongoing teacher training programs and resources like the Junior and Senior High School Voucher Program.
According to PEAC’s 2023-2024 performance report on the GASTPE program, more than 2.2 million learners received financial aid through the Educational Service Contracting (ESC) in 3,652 participating schools and 1,332,779 through the Senior High School Voucher program, with 4,515 participating schools. On the teacher’s side, 81,000 benefited from engagement and training initiatives. Additionally, the Teacher Salary Subsidy supported 55,635 educators.
From a parent’s perspective, the most significant benefit of this system is that it offers choice. Not every child thrives in the same environment, and E-GASTPE allows an option without being constrained by geography or the availability of public school resources. The flexibility provided by the Senior High School Voucher Program is particularly impactful. This initiative gives public schools students a chance to attend a private school that has specialized programs aligned with their career aspirations.
The 2023 Asian Development Bank study on the Senior High School Support Program highlighted the successful implementation of a voucher system as instrumental in addressing public school overcrowding and improving education quality, demonstrating the effective complementarity between public and private schools. Recommendations include creating a formal framework to strengthen this partnership and promoting better understanding of public-private collaboration within the Department of Education and among stakeholders. Furthermore, the program has significantly benefited the poor, with a large proportion of recipients being part of the government’s conditional cash transfer program, covering 97 percent of private school voucher students from the bottom 40 percent income group.
Beyond just the student subsidies, we must also recognize the vital role that teachers play in the quality of education. The Teacher Salary Subsidy program, which supports over 55,000 teachers, ensures that educators in private schools are adequately compensated, reducing the disparity between public and private teacher salaries. As someone who has seen both sides, I know how crucial it is for teachers to feel supported and valued, as their morale directly affects their teaching quality. Teachers who feel secure in their profession can focus on what truly matters: educating our children.
Expanding access to quality education, both in public and private institutions, will not only alleviate the burdens on our public schools but also empower more children with the learning they need to succeed, regardless of their economic background.
The Government Assistance to Students and Teachers in Private Education (GASTPE) program, especially in its expanded form, E-GASTPE, has proven that public-private partnerships in education are not just beneficial—they are essential and they need to be expanded.
