Youth groups seek SC relief on tuition increase

MANILA, Philippines - Youth groups led by the Kabataan party-list group asked the Supreme Court (SC) yesterday to stop the increase in tuition and other fees in 354 private colleges and universities nationwide that was recently approved by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED).

In a 46-page petition, the group led by Kabataan party-list president Terry Ridon asked the high court to issue a temporary restraining order (TRO) enjoining CHED from implementing its order allowing 354 tertiary schools to hike their fees.

They also urged the SC to declare as unconstitutional Section 42 of the Education Act of 1982 and Comelec Memorandum Order No. 3 series 2012, which were used to justify the order.

The petitioners argued that the CHED violated Article XIV Section 4 of the 1987 Constitution, which provides for “reasonable regulation and supervision of all education institutions.”

“Both law and regulation does not constitute reasonable regulation and supervision of all educational institutions as required by the 1987 Constitution,” they stressed.

Once granted, petitioners asked the SC to also declare invalid all tuition and other school fee hikes in the past years that were based on the above stated law and memorandum and order refund of previous tuition increases emanating from the same laws.

Apart from the CHED, also named respondents in the petition were universities whose tuition and other school fee hike applications were approved for the incoming academic year, including the University of Santo Tomas, University of the East Caloocan and Adamson University.

CHED approved last Monday applications for tuition hike of 354 schools out of 451 institutions that applied.

The Department of Education (DepEd) has also allowed 241 more private elementary and high schools to increase tuition this year.

DepEd is still evaluating the applications of 76 other schools even as it rejected the applications for tuition hike of 115 schools that were not able to justify their proposals to raise fees.

DepEd approved the tuition increase in 38 private schools in Region 2 (Cagayan Valley), 128 in Region 7 (Central Visayas), seven in Region 9 (Zamboanga peninsula), and 68 in Region 11 (Davao).

The agency earlier approved the petitions for tuition hikes filed by 903 elementary and secondary schools in the Metro Manila, Cordillera Administrative Region and Regions 1, 3, 4A, 4B, 5, 6, 8, 12.

DepEd said 1,335 out of 11,370 private schools nationwide applied for tuition increase this year.

The number of schools that will increase their fees this year is still expected to rise this week.

DepEd said it has not yet received reports from Regions 10, Caraga, and the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao on the tuition increase petitions.

Luz Almeda, director of DepEd Metro Manila, earlier said the approved rate of tuition increase ranges from five to 10 percent.

The agency, however, did not disclose other details including the names of schools. – With Helen Flores, Ric Sapnu