33 schools in WV to raise fees
Students and their parents face higher education expenses this coming school year as around 33 or 25 percent of the 134 private schools offering higher education programs in Western Visayas have increased their tuition and other school fees.
Data from the regional office of the Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) showed that 28 schools will increase their tuition by an average of 8 percent.
The highest percentage increase will be implemented by the Kabankalan Catholic College in Negros Occidental while the lowest increase is at 3 percent by the AMA Computer College.
Five other schools will increase miscellaneous fees.
Public schools are also expected to increase their fees, according to Dr. Rex Casiple, chief education specialist of the CHEd regional office.
Negros Occidental had the most number of schools that will raise their tuition with 15. These include the AMA Computer College-Bacolod (3%), Colegio de San Agustin (7%), Community Bible Baptist College (5%), La Consolacion College (12%), John B. Lacson Colleges Foundation-Bacolod (10%), University of Negros Occidental Recoletos (10%), University of Saint La Salle (5%), VMA Global College (10%) and West Negros College (12%).
The other Negros Occidental schools are: Binalbagan Catholic Church (6.7%), Mount Carmel College (4.3%), Kabankalan Catholic College (15%), Colegio de Santa Rita (6.2 %), Silay Institute (10%) and
Cabarus Catholic College (10%).
Ten schools in Iloilo will increase their tuition. These are: AMA Computer College-Iloilo (3%), Colegio del Corazon Sagrado de Jesus (5%), Colegio de San Jose (5%), John B. Lacson Colleges Foundation-Molo (10%), John B. Lacson Colleges Foundation-Villa (10%), Iloilo Doctors Colleges (4.76%), St. Anne College of Iloilo (6%), St. Therese-MTC Colleges-Magdalo (10%), St. Therese-MTC Colleges-La Fiesta (10%) and St. Therese-MTC Colleges-Tigbauan (10%).
Other schools that will increase their tuition include the Aklan Catholic College (10%), Pandan Bay Institute (9%) and the Filamer Christian College (5%).
The schools that will increase their miscellaneous fees are the Aklan Polytechnic College, Saint Anthony's College, University of Iloilo, Western Institute of Technology and Fellowship Baptist College.
Casiple said that under CHEd Memorandum Order No. 13 issued in 1998, private schools can increase their fees without limit as long as a consultation is conducted with stakeholders.
The CHEd regional offices have been directed to monitor the implementation of the provision of the Republic Act 6728 (Government Assistance to Students and Teachers in Private Education Law) that directs schools that implement tuition and other fee increases to provide scholarship grants to 5 percent of its total student population.
Casiple said they will ask schools to submit a report on the implementation of this provision which will be counter-checked by CHEd personnel.
Militant youth groups said the increase "comes as no surprise from a government that has long ago abandoned its responsibility to educate its youth."
"The increase in school fees, coming amid record high prices of rice, petroleum products and other basic commodities, will drive more and more youth out of school and into sweat shops and other menial jobs," said the League of Filipino Students in Panay in a statement.
The LFS said "the specter of thousands of dropouts this coming school year is revolting when millions of pesos of public funds are lost to graft and corruption that reaches the highest levels of government."