At least 100 private schools in Cavite would not open for the school year 2020-2021 as the country’s education system shift to blended or distant learning, Governor Juanito Victor Remulla said Monday.
Jeofrey Capili Sr., a private school principal and president of the Association of Private Schools, Principals and Administrators in Cavite, confirmed the data. He, however, discouraged schools from shutting down.
“If they do so, everything will have to go back to zero [and will be more difficult for them to recover should they decide to reopen after the pandemic],” Capili said.
According to Capili, many parents were still “undecided” on whether to send their children to school or not. Some who lost their jobs due to the pandemic meanwhile chose to transfer their children to public schools.
“In private schools, it’s a no-work, no-pay [scheme for teachers and personnel]. The last time we received our salaries was on March 15, yet we never got any [government] aid,” Capili said.
Also read: DepEd asks private schools to delay tuition fee increase
Eleazardo Kasilag, president of Federation of Associations of Private Schools and Administrators, said it was too early to tell on how many of the 6,000 member schools would remain open amid the COVID-19 crisis.
Citing the data from the Department of Education that only 80 percent of the 2019 student population had enrolled so far, he said private schools were relying on the remaining 20 percent who are yet to register.
Kasilag said private schools were advised to extend their enrollment period until September to accommodate late enrollees and offer services.
Meanwhile, Cavite governor Remulla said the LGU of Cavite would have to present its own “educational plan” and allocate P5 billion for 600,000 students going to public schools this August.
“It is our local solution to a national problem,” Remulla said.
Remulla pointed out in a public post addressed to Education Secretary Leonor Briones that LGUs would have to shoulder the expenses of public schools in transitioning to online or remote education apart from the local government’s expenditures to fight the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
“It is unfortunate that at the time of COVID [when] every Filipino student should be given a chance at proper education … the reality is only the rich can afford to learn,” he said.