THE FEDERATION of Associations of Private Schools Administrators asked the government to repeal Executive Order 156, series of 1968 of former president Ferdinand Marcos and replace it with one that will provide help to beleaguered schools.

FAPSA president Eleazardo Kasilag said the 900 schools that closed because of the pandemic could have been saved had there been an EO mandating their rescue.

“This is the biggest chance for private schools to survive the pandemic mortality; the government has a way to subsidize the private schools through Fund Assistance for Private Education,” Kasilag said.

According to him, the government allocated P606.5 billion of its proposed P4.5 trillion 2021 budget for the Department of Education.

“FAPSA believes the present government is not aware of the billions of pesos appropriated for private schools; yet not shared with the more than 6,000 small and medium size schools,” Kasilag said.

“With this pandemic, there is a need to review all policies on private school regulations, especially, on government subsidies. Billions pesos allocation like the voucher and subsidy emanating from the government as assistance are coursed thru Fund for Assistance to Private Education but never enjoyed by small private schools,” he added.

He noted that many FAPSA non-sectarian schools tried to apply for membership with FAPE but were declined.

“In basic education, only Catholic schools are members thus, sectarian schools are not included. Christian schools are allowed only if the schools have college department or if it is a university,” he said.

“The issue here is the untouched executive order issued 53 years ago, that was buried in oblivion. Executive Order No. 156 constituted the ‘Fund for Assistance to Private Education’ as an irrevocable trust fund, creating a ‘Private Education Assistance Committee’ as trustee, and providing for the management thereof. President Ferdinand Marcos issued this EO in 1968 because he believed that private education sector has important role to play in nation building. FAPE took strong exemption to limiting the choice of management to government preferring PEAC’S discretion instead,” Kasilag explained.

“The spirit of the executive order is not for exclusivity but inclusivity in the private education sector. The case here is not personal not even professional but legal surrounding an executive order that escaped non-elitist private schools for more than five decades.  FAPSA appeals for fairness to help schools outside of FAPE to avoid closure. After all, it is the needy and the helpless that need assistance and it is the money of Juan de la Cruz being spent here by the billions,” Kasilag added.