Gatchalian: Gov't assistance to private education should decongest public schools

Citing findings of the Commission on Audit (COA), Senator Win Gatchalian flagged the ambiguity on whether the programs under the Government Assistance to Students and Teachers in Private Education (GASTPE) effectively address issues related to public school congestion.

A COA Performance Audit Report released in 2018 revealed that the Department of Education (DepEd) had limited data on the GASTPE's effects on the decongestion of public schools. State auditors also flagged that the program has no clear performance indicators. For Gatchalian, the program's resources should be allocated to areas with the highest concentration of congested public schools.

"Parang lumalabas na hindi malinaw ang mga panuntunan," said Gatchalian during a hearing on the implementation of the expanded GASTPE law (Republic Act No. 8545). He emphasized that in implementing the program, the concentration should be in congested areas. However, COA findings show there is no clear policy as to where the Educational Service Contracting (ESC) and the voucher program should be implemented.

The ESC is a partnership program under GASTPE where the government shoulders the tuition and other fees of excess learners in public schools who enroll in private schools contracted by the DepEd.

DepEd data and estimates from the senator's office revealed that the regions with the highest share of congested junior public high schools are the National Capital Region at 72%, the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) at 71%, and Region X at 50%.

Regions with the highest number of aisle learners are Region IV-A (319,409), NCR (265,894), and Region VII (118,443), based on DepEd data and analysis from the senator's office. Aisle learners are those who can no longer be accommodated in classrooms because of public school congestion.

Analysis by the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM II) of DepEd and Private Education Assistance Committee (PEAC) data also revealed that there are 149 municipalities with very congested public junior high schools but very few ESC schools.

DepEd Assistant Secretary for Operations Francis Cesar Bringas assured during the hearing, however, that revisions to the ESC guidelines are currently underway and that it will prioritize areas with heavily congested public schools.

Gatchalian: Tulong pinansyal sa private education dapat tugunan ang problema ng masisikip na classrooms

Pinuna ni Senador Win Gatchalian ang kawalan ng linaw kung epektibo nga bang natutugunan ng Government Assistance to Students and Teachers in Private Education (GASTPE) ang mga isyung may kinalaman sa sobrang siksikan sa mga pampublikong paaralan.

Lumabas kasi sa isang Performance Audit Report ng Commission on Audit (COA) noong 2018 na limitado ang datos ng Department of Education (DepEd) sa mga epekto ng GASTPE sa pag-decongest ng mga pampublikong paaralan. Pinuna rin ng komisyon na walang malinaw na performance indicators ang programa. Para kay Gatchalian, dapat tutukan ng programa ang mga lugar kung saan may pinakamaraming nagsisiksikang public schools.

"Parang lumalabas na hindi malinaw ang mga panuntunan," ani Gatchalian sa isang pagdinig ng Senado ukol sa pagpapatupad ng expanded GASTPE law (Republic Act No. 8545). Giit niya, dapat tutukan ang mga lugar na may maraming nagsisiksikang mga estudyante sa mga classroom. Ngunit batay sa pag-aaral ng COA, walang malinaw na polisiya kung saan ba dapat ipatupad ang Educational Service Contracting (ESC) at ang voucher program.

Ang ESC ay isang partnership program sa ilalim ng GASTPE, kung saan binabayaran ng pamahalaan ang matrikula at iba pang mga bayarin ng mga benepisyaryong mag-aaral mula sa mga pampublikong paaralan na napupunta sa mga private schools na kinontrata ng DepEd.

Batay sa datos ng DepEd at sa pagsusuri ng tanggapan ng senador, ang mga rehiyon na may pinakamalaking porsyento ng mga nagsisiksikang junior public high schools ay ang National Capital Region (72%), Bangsamoro Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) (71%), at Region X (50%).

Ang mga rehiyon namang may pinakamaraming bilang ng mga aisle learners ay ang Region IV-A (319,409), NCR (265,894), at Region VII (118,443) batay sa datos ng DepEd at pagsusuri ng tanggapan ng senador. Ang mga aisle learners ay mga mag-aaral na hindi na mabibigyan ng espasyo sa loob ng mga paaralan dahil sa sobrang siksikan.

Batay naman sa pagsusuri ng Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM II) gamit ang datos ng Private Education Assistance Committee (PEAC), may 149 na mga munisipalidad na may sobrang nagsisiksikang mga public junior high school pero kakaunting ESC schools.

Samantala, sinabi ni DepEd Assistant Secretary for Operations Francis Cesar Bringas na rerepasuhin na ang mga pamantayan ng ESC at bibigyang prayoridad ang mga lugar na may pinakamaraming nagsisiksikang mga pampublikong paaralan.