Press Release
January 11, 2023

Gov't urged to look into plight of private schools; Gatchalian seeks Senate inquiry

While the Private Education Assistance Committee (PEAC) is urging the government not to marginalize private schools, Senator Win Gatchalian is seeking a Senate inquiry on the complementary roles of public and private schools to achieve the country's national objectives and sustainable development goals in education.

PEAC is the body that implements programs on government assistance to private schools. In a televised interview, PEAC Executive Director Doris Ferrer said there is a need to close teachers' salary gap. Ferrer also mentioned proposals to expand programs such as the Educational Service Contracting (ESC) to include elementary students. Through the ESC, the excess capacities of certified private junior high schools are contracted and allocated as slots for students who would have gone to public schools. The slots come with subsidies called ESC grants.

"Kasabay ng ating pagrepaso sa buong sektor ng edukasyon ang pagtugon natin sa mga hamong kinakaharap ng mga pribadong paaralang katuwang natin sa paghahatid ng dekalidad na edukasyon. Tutulungan natin silang makabangon, lalo na't nakaranas sila ng matinding pinsala dahil sa pandemya ng COVID-19," said Gatchalian.

For School Year (SY) 2021-2022, private school enrollment was 23 percent below pre-pandemic levels, causing the closure of 185 schools within the same period.

Last year, Gatchalian filed Proposed Senate No. 12, which seeks a Senate inquiry on strengthening the complementary roles of public and private institutions in the education system. Gatchalian, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Basic Education, said there is a need to formulate a dynamic and responsive framework to further operationalize the principle of complementarity enshrined in the 1987 Constitution.

The lawmaker also pointed to the discrepancy in salaries between public and private school teachers. When the second semester of School Year (SY) 2019-2020 began, the average monthly salary of a public school teacher was P22,316. On the other hand, a survey by the Coordinating Council of Private Educational Associations of the Philippines (COCOPEA) on its member associations revealed that the average monthly salary of a private school teacher was P14,132 at the elementary level, P15,048 in junior high school, and P16,258 in senior high schools.

While Republic Act No. 6728, as amended, or the Expanded Government Assistance to Students and Teachers in Private Education enabled public-private partnership in education through various forms of assistance, Gatchalian said challenges remain in implementing the law.


Gatchalian: Suriin ang mga hamong kinakaharap ng mga pribadong paaralan

Habang hinihimok ng Private Education Assistance Committee (PEAC) ang pamahalaan na huwag pabayaan ang mga pribadong paaralan, ipasusuri naman ni Senador Win Gatchalian sa Senado ang complementary roles o nagkakaisang mga papel ng mga pampubliko at pribadong paaralan sa pagkamit ng mga pambansang layunin at sustainable development goals sa edukasyon.

Ang PEAC ang nagpapatupad ng mga programang nagpapamahagi ng tulong pinansyal ng pamahalaan sa mga pribadong paaralan. Sa isang panayam, binanggit ni PEAC Executive Director Doris Ferrer na kinakailangang pagtapatin ang sahod ng mga public at private school teachers. Binanggit niya rin ang panukalang palawigin ang mga programa tulad ng Educational Service Contracting (ESC) upang maging bahagi nito ang mga mag-aaral sa elementary. Sa pamamagitan ng ESC, ang mga sobrang kapasidad ng mga sertipikadong private junior high school ay nilalaan sa mga mag-aaral na pupunta sana sa mga pampublikong paaralan. Kasama ng mga naturang slot ang ayudang tinatawag na ESC grants.

"Kasabay ng ating pagrepaso sa buong sektor ng edukasyon ang pagtugon natin sa mga hamong kinakaharap ng mga pribadong paaralang katuwang natin sa paghahatid ng dekalidad na edukasyon. Tutulungan natin silang makabangon, lalo na't nakaranas sila ng matinding pinsala dahil sa pandemya ng COVID-19," ani Gatchalian.

Para sa School Year (SY) 2021-2022, ang enrollment sa mga private schools ay mas mababa ng 23 porsyento, bagay na nagdulot ng pagsasara ng 185 na mga paaralan noong panahon iyon.

Noong nakaraang taon, inihain ni Gatchalian ang Proposed Senate Resolution No. 12 na isinusulong ang pagrepaso ng Senado sa pagpapatatag sa complementary roles ng mga pampubliko at pribadong mga paaralan sa sistema ng edukasyon sa bansa. Ani Gatchalian, Chairman ng Senate Committee on Basic Education, kailangang makabuo ng isang dynamic at responsive na framework sa pagpapatupad ng principle of complementarity na nakasaad sa 1987 Constitution.

Pinuna rin ni Gatchalian ang pagkakaiba sa sahod ng mga guro sa mga pampubliko at mga pribadong paaralan. Sa pagsisimula ng ikalawang semestre ng School Year (SY) 2019-2020, ang average monthly salary ng mga guro sa mga pampublikong mga paaralan ay P22,316. Ayon naman sa isang survey ng Coordinating Council of Private Educational Associations of the Philippines (COCOPEA) sa mga member associations nito, P14,132 ang average na sahod kada buwan ng isang private school teacher sa elementarya, P15,048 sa junior high school, at P16,258 sa senior high schools.

Bagama't nagkaroon ng public-private partnership sa edukasyon dahil sa na-amyendahang Expanded Government Assistance to Students and Teachers in Private Education, binigyang diin ni Gatchalian na may mga hamon pa rin sa pagpapatupad nito.

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