Private education sector to ‘die slowly’ without gov't assistance — COCOPEA

The Coordinating Council of Private Educational Associations (COCOPEA) is appealing to government for “urgent assistance” amid the coronavirus pandemic so they can continue their operations.

“Indeed, (the) education sector is one of the critically affected sectors that's in urgent need of government assistance to pump blood into it, otherwise it will die slowly,” said COCOPEA managing director lawyer Joseph Noel

Estrada.

Estrada said currently, there are around 263,000 teachers in private basic education schools (from elementary to Senior High School). He added that there are also 77,000 faculty in private colleges and universities nationwide.

“If we project 30 to 50 percent of them would be laid off or change careers, then that would be between 102,000 and 170,000,” Estrada warned. “This scenario is assuming no government economic stimulus package would be given to the private education sector — from students, to school personnel, and institutions,” he added.

COCOPEA is composed of more than 2,500 educational institutions nationwide represented by its five member-associations namely: Philippine Association of Private Schools, Colleges and Universities (PAPSCU); Philippine Association of Colleges and Universities (PACU); Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines (CEAP); Association of Christian Schools Colleges and Universities (ACSCU); and Technical Vocational Schools Association of the Philippines (TVSA).

Earlier, the Department of Education (DepEd) and the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) submitted to legislators and economic managers a report on the financial impact of the health crisis to schools that offer basic education and higher education institutions (HEIs).

During the hearing of the Senate Committee of the Whole on the government’s COVID-19 response and stimulus plans, both DepEd and CHED appealed for assistance from the government on behalf of the thousands of teachers in smaller private schools and HEIs who are facing displacement due to the COVID-19 crisis.

Recognizing the plight of the private education sector amid the COVID-19 crisis, Education Secretary Leonor Briones has been seeking support for private school teachers greatly affected by the pandemic.

While they have their own manual of operations, Briones said private schools also let DepEd know what is happening in their respective schools. “Amid the outbreak, they're informing us about their problems and about their issues,” she said.

Briones admitted, however, that there are certain limits on how the DepEd can respond to the concerns of private schools. “For example, the needed assistance for the teachers, we don’t have legal basis for this,” she explained.

With the looming closure and decline in revenues of private schools during the enhanced community quarantine, Briones earlier noted that the “Bayanihan to Heal as One Act” should also include private school teachers for their economic protection — with the aid of legislators.

“We see the Bayanihan law as a possible source of assistance for private school teachers,” Briones said. Thus, DepEd has proposed to include private school teachers in the list of beneficiaries under the said law. (Merlina Hernando-Malipot)