Private schools open today

MANILA, Philippines - Traffic is expected to get heavier as classes in private schools and colleges start today.

There are over three million enrollees in private elementary and high schools this school year, according to the Department of Education (DepEd).

On the other hand, there are about 3.1 million enrollees in the tertiary level for school year 2013-2014, based on Commission on Higher Education (CHED) data.

Although public elementary and high schools started the school year last Monday, many private schools had scheduled the start of the school year this week.

Of the 3.1 million enrolled, 902,884 are taking up business administration and related disciplines; followed by information technology (IT) related discipline with 440,385 projected enrollees; education science and teacher training with 392,008; engineering and technology with 362,102; medical and allied courses with 326,744, and maritime education with 104,964, CHEd data showed.

Earlier, the DepEd allowed some 1,144 private elementary and secondary schools to raise tuition this school year.

This represents 10 percent of the 11,370 private elementary and high schools in the entire country.

CHEd has also permitted 354 private colleges and universities to raise tuition and other school fees this year.

This represents 21 percent of the 1,683 higher education institutions in the country, excluding those in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

Last week, the Supreme Court junked a petition filed by youth groups against tuition hikes in the 354 higher education institutions (HEIs).