THE CATHOLIC Education Association in the Philippines (CEAP) aims to address student enrollment decline and teacher migration from private to public schools.
In a press conference, CEAP president Fr. Albert N. Delvo shared key reasons for the trend notably on the appeal of free public education and the increased cost of living.
“Due to the financial constraints, many families find it harder to prioritize private education. At CEAP, we are committed to promoting the peculiar importance and great value of Catholic education,” Delvo said on Nov 12.
Devlo highlighted that in order to address the concern of the decline in enrollment, CEAP aims to enhance support systems, offering financial aid, and scholarships, adapting flexible payment options, and innovating curriculums.
On the matter of teacher migration, CEAP has actively advocated for policy changes for private school teachers by calling on the government to increase the teacher’s salary subsidy and enhance the financial assistance to make private school teaching more sustainable.
He added that student services particularly on mental health are also a priority in ensuring the students are nurtured in all aspects of their development.
CEAP seeks the help of the government to aid private schools in easing the financial burden on families as well as to strengthen the complementarity between public and private schools.
CEAP hosted its 2024 CEAP National Convention at the SMX Convention Center from Nov 13-15 to push Catholic schools at the forefront of social transformation.
In a Sept. 2022 article by Inquirer.net, it was reported that Filipino teachers are migrating abroad due to low salaries whereas teachers in both public and private sectors are seeking opportunities abroad according to the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT).
Furthermore, Vice President Sara Duterte, former DepEd secretary, said increasing the public school teachers’ salaries would force more private schools to shut down.
