Private schools: DepEd killing us softly

MANILA, Philippines — Private school owners and administrators lament that the Department of Education is killing them softly, with the latest blow being the recent issuance of an order prohibiting them from hiring unlicensed teachers or those who have not passed the Licensure Examination for Teachers (LET).

The Federation of the Associations of Private School Administrators, Inc. (FAPSA) said that the Regional Memorandum Order No. 78 recently issued by DepEd National Capital Region (DepEd-NCR) officer-in-charge Wilfredo Cabral was another nail in the coffin for many small- and mid-sized schools that provide “above minimum” quality kindergarten to senior high school education to millions of students all over the country. RMO No. 78 reminded basic education private school administrators of the “minimum qualification of teaching personnel” led primarily by the requirement of passing the LET.

In a media briefing yesterday at the Quezon Memorial Circle, FAPSA members said the DepEd has gone on to enforce the requirement while there was an ongoing severe exodus of licensed teachers from private schools to public schools which offer an entrylevel salary of P21,000 a month.