By Merlina Hernando-Malipot
If school opening is further delayed this coming school year, private schools nationwide are bracing for an estimated revenue loss of Php 55.2 billion, which may shoot up to P142.1 billion if classes do not open at all due to COVID-19 situation in the country.
The Coordinating Council of Private Educational Associations (COCOPEA), which serves as the unifying voice of private education in the Philippines, expressed concern over moving the opening of classes to August or to later months. Delays in school opening, COCOPEA noted, would be equivalent to bigger revenue losses, which paralyze the school operations and may lead to eventual closure.
“Private schools are affected too and are at the verge of closing down operations,” said COCOPEA managing director Atty. Joseph Noel Estrada in a statement. “The revenue loss for the private education sector if school opening is pushed to August is already estimated at Php 55.2 billion this estimate shoots up to 142.1 billion of revenue loss if classes do not open at all this coming school year.”
COCOPEA is composed of more than 2,500 educational institutions in the country, represented by its five (5) member-associations: Philippine Association of Private Schools, Colleges and Universities (PAPSCU); Philippine Association of Colleges and Universities (PACU); Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines (CEAP); Association of Christian Schools Colleges and Universities (ACSCU); and Technical Vocational Schools Association of the Philippines (TVSA).
COVID-19 takes heavy toll on private education sector
Estrada explained that the private education sector is one of the sectors “seriously affected” by the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) due to COVID-19.
Citing date from the Department of Education (DepEd) and the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), COCOPEA noted that there are currently 30.7 million learners in the country, with 27.8 million in elementary and high schools and 2.9 million students enrolled in colleges and universities.
COCOPEA noted that 16 percent of students in elementary and high school are in private schools while and 54 percent of students in college are in private colleges and universities. Given this, Estrada noted that “students’ learning is at risk of further disruption and even discontinuity in the coming school year.”
Aside from students, COCOPEA said that school personnel are also affected. Currently, Estrada said that there are 409,7573 teachers, faculty, and school personnel in private educational institutions all over the country. “They are either on reduced pay or no pay at all because of temporary reduction and cessation of work while under ECQ,” he explained. “Job security has become a major concern for them and their families.”
Estrada said that amid the ECQ implementation, “private schools are trying their best to keep its teachers, faculty, and school personnel by paying their salaries despite their dwindling resources.” He noted, however, that COCOPEA survey shows “that many of the private schools would no longer be able to maintain their payroll beyond April 30.”
“After this date, many private schools would resort to extreme measures to avoid closure such as placing school personnel on floating status without pay, non-renewal of contracts, and even retrenchment,” Estrada said.
Education is vital, it cannot stop
Despite these challenges, Estrada noted that as private schools under COCOPEA are still preparing for the school opening for academic year 2020-2021.
To ensure that they will continue to provide education to students and employment among its employees, Estrada said that majority of the private schools are focused on establishing flexible learning delivery modes that include blended learning, distance and open education, online with learning packets, and other alternative delivery modes to “provide access to all students,” regardless of their economic background.
In order to migrate to these delivery modes, Estrada said that private schools are “looking at massive trainings of its faculty in preparation for the school opening” with the help of the CHED and the DepEd.
Amid all the challenges, Estrada reminded that “education in our country and the complementary role of the private sector on this state function cannot be overemphasized.”
“Education is vital, it cannot stop,” Estrada said. Given this, COCOPEA appealed to the government “not to further delay the opening” of school year 2020-2021. The council also appealed for support initiatives of both government and the private education sector to “adopt a more innovative, creative, and flexible learning delivery modes” in schools in these challenging times.