The Department of Education-Cordillera Administrative Region (DepEd-CAR) said 18 of 33 schools that closed since School Year 2020-21 because of the Covid-19 pandemic have applied for permits to resume operations while 53 that continued applied for recognition.

Ethylyn Taqued, chief of the quality assurance division of the DepEd-CAR, said that to resume operation means having the necessary staff that will implement the school’s program, aside from having facilities that will meet the basic standards set for an education institution.

She said schools that have permits to operate are allowed to simply operate but schools with recognition have privileges such as being qualified to be accredited to implement the governments education subsidy programs upon compliance with requirements.

“The resumption of the permit means they have reopened. Elevating the permit to recognition means they have coped with the requirement of ownership of the land where they are staying, they have improved their physical facilities and environment, aside from having improved staff who have higher education qualifications,” she said.

Taqued said recognized schools may apply to implement the Education Service Contracting program, where government subsidizes PHP11,000 for the student’s tuition fee; the teacher subsidy of PHP18,000; the junior high school voucher program of PHP17,000; and the senior high voucher program of PHP20,000.

“If the school is qualified to implement these education subsidies, they can invite more students to enroll to them, which will mean more funds added to the schools’ operation,” she said.

The official said these programs are among the state’s recognition of the partnership between the public and private education sectors.

“We need the private schools so that we can decongest the public school. We appreciate private schools that open and improve themselves by obtaining a recognition because it helps the public sector basic education provide for the youth’s education,” she said.

For SY 2024-25, there are 342,479 public school learners from elementary to senior high school and 64,768 in private schools.

There are also 414,310 high school students enrolled in state universities and colleges and the alternative learning system. (PNA)