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Monday, May 22, 2006
Higher tuition for 55 Cebu schools
CEBU CITY -- Thirty elementary schools and 25 high schools in Cebu are raising tuition rates for enrollees this school year, Department of Education (DepEd) 7 records show.
As of last week, the number of private schools in Central Visayas that applied for an increase in tuition and other school fees already reached 73, up from the 54 in 2005.
The DepEd 7 elementary and secondary school divisions are accepting applications until the first week of June.
Aside from an increase in the number of schools, some schools also sought increases of as high as 28 percent, DepEd records show. Last year, the highest rate hike was only at 20 percent.
DepEd 7 Director Carolino Mordeno said that while the agency does not impose a limit on the rate of increase, it encourages the schools not to increase tuition by more than 15 percent.
School administrators, though, need to consult parents on the new rates.
The Commission on Higher Education (Ched) allows higher education institutions to raise tuition or school fees at a rate not higher than the prevailing inflation rate in the region, which is at 7.6 percent this year, and to seek the approval of the student body for the increase.
According to the partial list of schools with a confirmed tuition increase from the DepEd 7 elementary schools division, Mandaue Christian School Inc. in Mandaue City is raising tuition for incoming grade one to grade three pupils by 28 percent.
It is also imposing a 20-percent increase in tuition for enrollees in nursery and in grade four to grade six and a 21-percent increase in the tuition for kindergarten pupils.
Carcar Christian School Inc. in Carcar, Cebu is raising its school fees for grade four to grade six by 26 percent.
Other grade schools in the rest of the province and in Cebu City are raising fees by less than 20 percent.
For the secondary schools division, Cherubs Academy in San Roque, Talisay City is seeking a tuition hike of 15 percent to 22 percent-the highest among the high schools.
Mandaue Christian School Inc. and Cebu Christian Institute International are both raising tuition by 20 percent.
Colegio de la Inmaculada Concepcion, Don Bosco Technology Center, Sacred Heart School-Hijas de Jesus, St. Theresa's College, University of San Carlos Basic Education South Campus Elementary, Southwestern University, University of Cebu-Main Campus and University of San Jose-Recoletos are among the schools in Cebu City that are raising tuition and school rates this year.
Meanwhile, 60 percent of private schools and universities in Davao City are also set to increase tuition fees come school opening.
DepEd regional director for Southern Mindanao Diamar Kadon said more often than not the application for an increase will be approved by their office or Ched for as long as the schools comply with the pre-requisites.
Among the pre-requisites are a prior consultation with the stakeholders before applying for a tuition hike and that the increase rate must not exceed 10 percent. (Charmaine Y. Rodriguez of Sun.Star Cebu and Ben O. Tesiorna of Sun.Star Davao/Sunnex)
(May 22, 2006 issue)
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