Department of Education has announced that 31 private elementary and secondary schools in Metro Manila are planning to implement a tuition fee increase.
The schools cited as reason for the planned increase is the second wave of the tax reform which prompted higher inflation and for the additional salaries of teachers.
“Alam naman natin na medyo tumataas iyong ano…inflation rate and they need to operate within the certain norm and they see it that the most available is that is to have a tuition hike,” said DepEd NCR Dir. Wilfredo Cabral.
“Of the 31 that we have right now, of course they are applying for tuition fee increase for purposes of increasing the salary of their teachers, personnel and as well as improvement of their facilities,” he added.
The DepEd said that in petitioning for higher tuition, a school should prove that 70 percent of the said increase will go to teachers’ salaries, 20 percent for infrastructure development and 10 percent for profit.
The tuition increase must request must also undergo consultation with parents and will be subjected to the scrutiny of the education department.
Also, more than 200 out of 300 schools in Metro Manila requested for tuition hike last year and were given approval to proceed.
Meanwhile, the lawyer of the Coordinating Council for Private Educational Associates said that private colleges and universities also plans to file for tuition fee increase.
According to Atty. Joseph Noel that this is a way for institutions to level the salaries of public teachers with private school teachers who only depend on their respective regional wage rates.
“Of course, for the salaries of private school teachers of course we have to comply with the regional wage rates, of course regionalized iyong salaries per region. For example, iyong teacher 1 iyong entry level teacher sa DepEd, that’s P23,500 including iyong allowances…. the average of a private school teacher is only P13,000. But there are regions where their salaries are really very low,” said Noel.
“They have to comply with the requirements primary is there is a consultation for the parents…among the parents and their students that they will have an increase of tuition for the next school year,” said Cabral.
Presently, there are 2,000 private schools in Metro Manila. However, DepEd admits that the petition may force parents to transfer their children to public schools next year.
The DepEd, however, said it Is ready to accomdate students in case of massive transfers from one school to another.