Over 370K Grade 7 students receive government subsidy in SY 2012-2013

(PRESS RELEASE) 

The Department of Education has increased by 98% the education service contracting slots for incoming Grade 7 students who wish to continue their secondary education in private schools owing to congestion in public schools.

Education Secretary Br. Armin A. Luistro FSC said the number of slots has increased from 190,536 in School Year 2011-2012 to 377,227 slots this school year under the Government Assistance to Students and Teachers in Private Education (GASTPE) program. “We allotted more slots for Grade 7 (First Year High School) students to give more students a chance to enter high school and finish their basic education,” he added.

The amount of grant has likewise increased from P5,500 to P6,500 for First Year Education Service Contracting (ESC) grantees outside of the National Capital Region starting School Year 2012-2013.

As contained in DepEd Memo 94 s. 2012, the increase in the number of slots was based on need, given the normal carrying capacity of public secondary schools. For Luzon, the slots increased from 101,520 last year to 223,781 this year; from 39,035 last year to 74,106 slots this year for Visayas; and from 49,981 to 79,341 slots in Mindanao for this school year.

GASTPE subsidizes the tuition fees of students who enroll in private high schools in lieu of public high schools because the latter can no longer accommodate them.

The Regional Program Committee of GASTPE is responsible for the distribution of the Grade 7 ESC slots in each participating school on the basis of need and on the school’s demonstrated capacity to utilize slots previously allotted to them.

Luistro said a report on the distribution and utilization of the ESC slots must be forwarded to the DepEd Central Office on or before June 30, 2012.