A federation of private schools appealed for fairness from the national government after another group of schools will be receiving Internet subsidy similar to that given to public school teachers.
Eleazardo Kasilag, chairperson of the Federation of Associations of Private Schools Administrators, said the assistance places at a disadvantage small private schools, many of which are also facing closure due to low enrolment.
Kasilag claimed the voucher and subsidy will be given to members of the Coordinating Council of Private Educational Associations through the government Fund for Assistance to Private Education.
Cocopea, an umbrella organization of private schools, is composed of the Philippine Association of Colleges and Universities, Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines, Philippine Association of Private Schools, Colleges and Universities, Association of Christian Schools, Colleges and Universities, and Unified TVET of the Philippines Inc.
Cocopea member schools offer basic to tertiary education, while FAPSA members only offer basic education.
"This was aired by the Cocopea spokesperson during the fifth regular meeting of the Committee on Basic Education last Tuesday that delineated the Internet allowance for the public school teachers, which I partially attended, but left the meeting sorry for small private schools after hearing it," the FAPSA official said.
"FAPSA just submitted a position paper to the office of Congressman Roman Romulo, Basic Education Committee chairperson in the House, appealing for a review of policies on private school regulations, especially on subsidies, since school closures have become enormous this pandemic," Kasilag explained.
"Then, this advocacy of Cocopea really startled me and I walked out. FAPSA member schools are left to fend for ourselves. 'Unity in Multiplicity' as claimed by Cocopea was simply not felt during that talk," he said.
FAPSA appealed for fairness to help schools that are outside FAPE to prevent further closures.
"Quality or excellence of education is not the primordial judgmental criterion here. After all, it is the needy and the helpless that need assistance, not only the rich and stable ones. It is the money of Juan de la Cruz being spent here by the billions," Kasilag expressed.
