'Costly' Senior High School could deter student enrolment

Incoming Senior High School (SHS) students who opt to enrol in private schools face the prospect of paying for high matriculation costs, Maki Pulido reported on GMA 7's "24 Oras" on Tuesday.

 

 

At this time, high school students are not preparing for graduation. Instead, Junior High School students are preparing to enrol in Grade 11 as part of the Department of Education's (DepEd) K to 12 program, which covers 13 years of basic education.

 

The SHS covers the last two years of the program that includes Grades 11 and 12.

 

However, there are some public schools that do not have enough facilities to implement the SHS program. So, some students would have to enrol in private schools.

 

Students can avail of DepEd's voucher program, wherein beneficiaries may avail of subsidy of up to P22,500.

 

Some students told GMA News that private schools would charge them between P1,000 to P1,500, buy their own books, uniform and pay for other fees.

 

The additional charges and expenses pose as an additional financial burden to their parents.

 

"Inaano sa anak ko, hindi natin kakayanin sabi ko ganun, kasi maliit lang sweldo ng Papa niya," said Lorna Maglinte, mother of Mary Joy, a grade 10 student at the Batasan National High School in Quezon City.

 

Department of Education (DepEd) Assistant Secretary for Legal and Legislative Affairs Tonisito Umali said the agency recognizes the problem and asked parents to search for other schools. 

 

"Mamili na lang po sana tayo ng iba pang pribadong paaralan na nago-ooffer ng senior high school o kaya naman po pwede rin po sa mga pampublikong paaralan (mag-enrol). Lahat po ng mananatili sa public school ay kaya pong i-absorb ng DepEd. Na-project na po namin eh, nag-early registration kami," he said. 

 

ACT Partylist Representative Antonio Tinio said because there are public schools that do not have enough facilities, 40 percent of Grade 10 students are forced to enrol in private schools.

 

"Ang pangamba natin ay, actually, mas dadami pa ang mga kabataang hindi makakapagpatuloy, hindi makakatapos ng High School ngayon," he said. — Virgil Lopez, BAP, GMA News