HINILING ng Coordinating Council of Private Educational Associations sa Department of Education na magbigay ng kongkretong solusyon sa samu’t saring problemang kinakaharap ng private education sector sa bansa.

Sa Senate hearing kahapon, iniulat ng grupo ang mababang enrollment sa private schools para sa school year na ito, ang paglipat ng mga mag-aaral mula private schools sa public schools, ang mga na-displace na mag-aaral at guro resulta ng pagsasara ng mahigit 800 private schools at ang paghihigpit sa mga private school na nag-aalok ng online at distance learning.

Ayon kay COCOPEA managing director Joseph Noel Estrada, nasa 2 milyon lamang ang enrollees sa mga private school kumpara sa 4.3 milyon noong nakaraang taon.

“But even in the previous years napakababa na ng participation rate ng private schools in terms of enrollment. So, last year po nasa 15 percent na lang tayo of the total enrollment in the basic education in the country,” wika ni Estrada.

Sinabi ni Estrada na base sa datos ng DepEd noong Hulyo 27, mahigit 400,000 mga mag-aaral mula private schools ang lumipat sa mga pampublikong paaralan.

“I’m sure it increased,” sabi pa ni Estrada.

Sinabi rin ni Estrada na nasa 865 private schools na ang nagsara o tumigil pansamantala ng kanilang operasyon bunsod ng mababang enrollment.

“Pero hindi po malinaw kung voluntary ‘yun or involuntary but based on media interview of Undersecretary [Jesse] Mateo combination of factors aside from economic reasons ang binanggit po doon is hindi daw po nakapag-comply ang mga private school sa minimum standards or requirements of DepEd on Learners’ Management System and other requirements for modular distance learning,” paliwanag ni Estrada.

Sinabi ng DepEd kamakailan na marami sa mga private school ang hindi nakasunod sa requirement para mag-offer ng online at distance learning alinsunod sa DepEd Order No. 13, series of 2020.

“Ito ay ni-release lamang ng 24 June, halos may mga nakapagbukas na po na mga eskwelahan,” sabi ni Estrada.

Ngunit sinabi ni Estrada na kung hindi pa makapagbibigay ng economic intervention sa ngayon dahil sa krisis pangkalusugan na kinakaharap ng bansa, puwede  naman umanong magsimula muna sa policy intervention

“Nanawagan po kami ever since  na sana po ‘yung policy is less regulatory but supportive. Sinabi na rin po ng DepEd na marami ang hindi nakapagbukas dahil maraming private schools ang hindi nakapag-comply dito,” sabi ni Estrada.

“Ang sentimyento po mga school, why would the private schools be subjected to such requirements if this will not be even complied in the public school system. In other words, meron pong double standard,” dagdag pa niya.

Ayon kay Estrada, labis na nakaaalarma ang pagsasara ng 865 private schools.

“Are we allowing the disappearance or vanishing of the private education sector? Because when we also talk about the choice of the parents, yes I understand that it is the choice of the parents to send their children to school or not, and if they decide to send their children to school, part of the choice is whether they would like to send them to the public or the private school system. But if we are limiting that choice because we are not giving them the opportunity and in some instances they are encouraging them instead of staying in the private schools where they prefer they have the option ALS [Alternative Learning System] that’s not even formal education or going to the public school system, that is not a choice —that is compulsion,” sabi pa niya.

“Many of our students and parents still prefer to stay in the private schools but without the needed support they are constrained the choice of not sending their kids to school ot just sending them in the public school system,” dagdag pa niya.