Subsidy for high school students in provinces increased

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Education (DepEd) has increased its subsidy for high school students in the provinces under the Government Assistance for Students and Teachers in Private Education (GASTPE).

From the P6,500 subsidy last year, DepEd has increased it to P7,500 per student per year in participating schools outside Metro Manila this school year.

DepEd has also increased the number of slots for Education Service Contracting (ESC) from 800,000 (Grades 7 to 10) to almost one million students this year.

ESC is a one of the major programs under the GASTPE.

GASTPE subsidy in Metro Manila, however, remained at P10,000 per year.

The government subsidizes the tuition fee of students who want to pursue secondary schooling in private schools. It is jointly implemented by DepEd and the Fund for Assistance to Private Education (FAPE).

“Our mandate is to provide every Filipino child with access to quality education. The decision to increase the tuition subsidy under the ESC is part of our continuing thrust to democratize access to quality education across the country,” Education Secretary Armin Luistro said.

DepEd earlier said it plans to subsidize the private school education of some 400,000 incoming senior high school students in 2016 to help ease the worsening congestion in public schools.

“ESC is a demonstration of the government’s commitment to maintain the viability of private education as a key partner in the delivery of quality basic education to the Filipino learners,” Luistro said.

DepEd officials had said that accommodating these students in private schools would be less costly than building new classrooms and facilities, procuring furniture and hiring more teachers.