THE COORDINATING  Council of Private Educational Associations lauded Commission on Higher Education chairman Prospero De Vera III for allowing private schools to determine their own school opening.

This developed after De Vera was asked if higher educational institutions were mandated to comply with the Department of Education memorandum resetting the opening of classes to October 5.

“‘Yung batas na ginamit para i-move ‘yung opening ng classes to October 5, hindi covered ang CHED niyan. Ang covered niyan K-12 and DepEd,” De Vera said in an interview with CNN Philippines.

COCOPEA earlier issued a statement urging the government to let private schools continue with their scheduled opening of classes since they are already prepared.

While the group admitted that there is no “perfect system in education”,  it added that learning must continue even during the pandemic.

“Learning must not only continue during this pandemic, but quality higher education must also thrive. With the partnership and collaboration of COCOPEA and CHED, we are confident that we will succeed,” said COCOPEA.

COCOPEA member associations are Philippine Association of Colleges and Universities, Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines, Association of Christian Schools, Colleges, and Universities,  Philippine Association of Private Schools, Colleges and Universities, and Tech-Voc Schools Association of the Philippines.