Dep-Ed Shutdown Private Schools in Western Visayas
Western Visayas 76 private schools have ceased operations according to regional office of DepEd on Tuesday for the current academic year 2022-2023.
Hernani Escullar, the DepEd Western Visayas Regional Information Officer, reported that out of the 76 schools, 17 have made announcements of permanent closure from six school division offices.
According to him, the majority of them served kindergarten and elementary school kids, while others served junior and senior high school students. Based on the report of GMA News, Escullar attributed the closure to the COVID-19 pandemic’s financial difficulties and low enrollment turnout.
“The most common reason that was stated on the intention of these private schools, especially those requesting to have a temporary closure for this school year, is the low enrollment turnout of their schools in Western Visayas, especially in our private schools,” Escullar said in interview.
“The other is the financial constraints or instabilities of our private schools in their operations that are somehow affected by the COVID-19 pandemic that was a result of their temporary closure. Same for the schools that intend to permanently close,” he added.
Here are the list of schools that shutdown according to their Local Government Unit (LGU);
- Bacolod City – 6
- Bago City – 1
- Cadiz City – 1
- Negros Occidental – 7
- Sagay City – 2
- Silay City – 9
- Kabankalan City – 1
- San Carlos City – 4
- Iloilo Province – 10
- Iloilo City – 1
- Passi City – 3
- Guimaras – 9
- Aklan – 6
- Antique – 9
- Capiz – 7
The report mentioned that Escullar emphasized that while it is yet unclear how many students were impacted by these closures, they are giving them the support they need to transfer to another private or public school.
In an effort to find strategies for the recovery of the basic education sector, Senator Sherwin Gatchalian has submitted a motion calling for a legislative investigation into the effects of school closures caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
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