The Department of Education (DepEd) reminded private schools that suspended their operations for School Year (SY) 2020-2021 to inform their respective regional offices to avoid the revocation of their government recognition or permit to operate in the coming years.

Education Secretary Leonor Briones, in DepEd Order No. 39, Series of 2020, issued the special provisions on private school voluntary closures and participation in the government assistance and subsidies programs in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In the order, Briones cited the voluntary closure of private schools and the implications of this move on their authority to operate. “A private school that intends to voluntarily suspend operations for SY 2020-2021 shall submit a Notice of Temporary Closure to the DepEd Regional Office supervising its area by December 29, 2020,” she said.

Briones added that a school that suspends operations for this school year, but “does not comply” with the requirements for temporary closure by Tuesday, shall be “assumed to be permanently closes” and that the corresponding provisions on permanent closure will apply.

The Notice of Temporary Closure to be submitted, Briones said, “shall clearly indicate that the private school will not operate” this school year. It should also “clearly articulate” the reasons for the one-year suspension; evidence that the parents and students were “properly informed of the temporary closure.”

 Moreover, the private school should also indicate the actions taken or arrangements made to assist students, parents and guardians, as well as the school personnel affected by the temporary closure where they can transfer. DepEd also noted the plan for the resumption of operations in SY 2021-2022 should be included.

Briones noted in the order that private schools that will be subject to temporary closure shall have their permits to operate “automatically renewed” for the next school year and would not lose their government recognition as long as they will resume operations next school year.

Private schools that will resume operations next year are also asked to also submit a letter before March 31, 2021 informing DepEd that they will reopen. “For private schools with a Permit to Operate, such communication will trigger the issuance by the Regional Office of a renewed Permit to Operate, effective for SY 2021-2022” Briones said.

This school year, the private education sector bore the brunt of the COVID-19 pandemic with low enrollment which led to the closure of 860 schools,  affecting over 60,000 students and teachers. DepEd noted that there were 14, 435 private schools which operated nationwide in SY 2019-2020.

Among the reasons cited by the private schools for not operating this SY include “no or low” number of enrollment, unstable financial status of the school, and failure to guarantee the safety of students or school personnel. Some were also “not ready” for the school opening because they cannot comply with the requirements set by DepEd on alternative learning delivery modalities while there those that failed to get permits to operate from the government.