Church leaders have issued an appeal to the government to help private educational institutions survive the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
They warned that the closure of private schools will have a negative impact on families and communities, including loss of jobs and interruption in the education of young people.
“The closure of private schools may result in the further congestion of public schools, the very problem government seeks to address,” said Bishop Rex Andrew Alarcon of Daet.
The prelate, who heads the Episcopal Commission on Youth of the bishops’ conference, said government assistance for private schools is very much needed.
“It is important to know that even private schools also need help from the government for their survival,” said Bishop Roberto Mallari of San Jose.
“They are not just there to earn money,” said the prelate who heads the Episcopal Commission on Catechesis and Catholic Education.
“Most of them, if not all, exist because of a great sense of mission to contribute in the formation of young minds,” said Bishop Mallari.
He said the government should recognize the role of private schools in nation-building.
Bishop Alarcon also called on private agencies and individuals to help the schools. “The private and public sectors need to work together,” he said.
“Let us help save our schools. Saving our schools is saving our children, and ensuring the future of our nation,” he said.
The bishops made the appeal following reports that some private schools are planning to close due to lack of students this school year.
On June 17, a federation of private schools renewed its call for “urgent economic intervention” from the government.
The Coordination Council of Private Educational Associations said the “education community is badly hit by the economic downturn.”
The council said about two million students of private schools are transferring to public institutions this year, leaving private schools on the verge of closure.
The group had earlier called for the “immediate and urgent release of funds” to the Department of Education for the disbursement of government subsidies for students in private basic education.
At present, 263,000 teachers are employed in private basic education schools while 77,000 work as faculty in private colleges and universities nationwide.
