Pvt educ system seen collapsing with prohibition bill
By Nidz Godino
"Without tuition, or if its timely collection is impaired, private schools would be paralyzed or worse, cease or close operations altogether…simply put, if law deprives them of reasonable collection of tuition, our private educational sector will collapse, and ultimately entire Philippine education system, owing to its vital role in delivery of education to Filipinos," group Davao Association of Catholic Schools (DACS) said private education system will collapse if students are allowed to take their examinations without paying their tuition fee first.
In statement signed by multiple groups representing private schools, they claimed many private schools will close, thousands of teachers and staff will lose their jobs and thousands of students will be disenfranchised.
In May, Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez "acknowledge... unforeseen emergencies and events could prevent family from paying their obligations but this should not jeopardize learning and welfare of students…we hope to help them overcome this difficulty while also providing safeguards for private basic schools."
For DACS, policy is not pro-student and offers no long-term relief.
"Pro-student posture is deceptive…while allowing student to take exams without paying contractual obligations incurred in enrollment, it does not relieve student or his/her parents or guardians from fulfilling contractual obligations, students in private schools find no long-term relief in this Senate bill…if they are poor, they will nevertheless have eventually to pay their financial obligations," DACS said in statement.
For Association of Christian Schools, Colleges and Universities (ACSCU), proposed policies were "passed with undue haste and without adequate consultation" and they urged to put on hold bicameral conference committee's meeting.
Three bills Senate Bill 1359 and House Bills 7584 and 6438 are currently pending at bicameral conference committee, harmonizing conflicting provisions between Senate and House of Representatives versions of measure.
Among statement's signatories are ACSCU, Coordinating Council of Private Educational Associations, Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines, Philippine Association of Colleges and Universities (PACU), Philippine Association of Private Schools, Colleges and Universities and Unified TVET of the Philippines Inc.
PACU study concluded tuition fee collections will only be able to cover operating expenses for two months on average if policy is implemented, according to groups' statement.
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