Win Tayong Lahat

WIN sa balita

Gatchalian files bill expanding coverage of government assistance to private schools

Senator Win Gatchalian has filed a bill that aims to expand the coverage of government assistance to private schools.

Senate Bill No. 2911 seeks to further amend Republic Act No. 6728 or the Government Assistance to Students and Teachers in Private Education Act (GASTPE) to integrate all basic education levels. The law was later amended by Republic Act No. 8545 or the Expanded Government Assistance to Students and Teachers in Private Education Act (E-GASTPE). 

Under the proposed measure, government assistance to private education shall include learners from kindergarten to Grade 6. The bill also proposes a uniform implementation of tuition subsidy through a voucher system, which is already being used in the Senior High School Voucher Program (SHS-VP). 

The coverage under E-GASTPE was further amended by the Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013. After the law’s passage, the Department of Education (DepEd) developed the SHS-VP to provide financial assistance in the form of vouchers to qualified SHS learners from participating schools. The program was introduced to address classroom shortages caused by the addition of Grades 11 and 12 in basic education. 

Meanwhile, one form of assistance under GASTPE is the Educational Service Contracting (ESC) which awards grants to qualified beneficiaries. Through the ESC, the government contracts the excess capacity of certified private junior high schools by allocating slots to learners who would otherwise have attended public schools. One of the main goals of the ESC is to help decongest public schools.

Last year, Gatchalian led an inquiry on the implementation of the E-GASTPE Program. The hearings found that the ESC in its current form failed to decongest public schools and prioritize poor but deserving learners. For Gatchalian, discontinuing the ESC Scheme in favor of a voucher system is simpler and more cost-effective. He added that it will foster competition among private schools by incentivizing them to enhance the quality of education while keeping costs affordable.

Among the criteria for assistance under Gatchalian’s proposed measure are classroom congestion, as well as a private school’s performance, tuition, and other fees being charged. To ensure quality education for grantees, the DepEd will also be mandated to formulate measurement standards for the accreditation and quality assurance of recipient institutions. The measure also seeks to prioritize learners belonging to low-income households and Alternative Learning System completers.

Photo by Mark Cayabyab/OS WIN GATCHALIAN