Miscellaneous fees still needed for school maintenance –COCOPEA

The Coordinating Council of Private Educational Associations (COCOPEA) said that private schools still needed to charge miscellaneous fees, despite online classes, for the maintenance of school facilities.

“For some schools, they still have to have some funding to maintain it because it is not yet fully acquired. For example, so over the years kasi ‘yan eh… It is being subject to collection of fees for students over a period of time,” COCOPEA managing director Atty. Joseph Noel Estrada said in Katrina Son’s Tuesday report on “24 Oras.”

Estrada added that private sectors understood that most of their students were “economically-affected,” the reason why they began reducing and giving rebates in school fees.

Meanwhile, Department of Education Undersecretary Jesus Mateo said some miscellaneous fees such as the library fee should not be charged because classes were conducted online.

“Sa library fee papaano nga mangyayari ‘yon samantalang wala namang face-to-face so kailangang malaman kung bakit ganoon. Tataas po bandwidth. Siyempre ho may gastusin din ‘yan sa online,” Mateo said.

Moreover, he also said guidelines regarding tuition and other school fees have yet to be released by the DepEd amid the cancellation of face-to-face classes.

Mateo also urged parents to contact the school’s administration if they had any questions regarding the fees.

“Ang maigi po diyan, sumulat sila doon sa administration. Kailangan lang transparent po ‘yon school. Titignan namin kung reasonable ba ‘yong pag-i-increase na ‘yan,” he said. — Ma. Angelica Garcia/DVM, GMA News