The Department of Education (DepEd) launched a framework to reduce the number of students in public schools and allow public school learners to get the same quality of education as those provided in private schools. The Public-Private Education Complementarity Framework, launched during the 2023 Private Education National Conference, strives to foster consistency in developing the hybrid education system in the Philippines.
Every Filipino learner, either from public or private school, deserves an equal opportunity to learn and reach their full potential, Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte quoted. Yet, she explained that at the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, several students shifted from private schools to public schools, which caused many private schools across the country to shut down and many public schools to become congested. “The pandemic forced us to speculate on the shortcomings of our education system. Many Filipinos lost their jobs, and the uncertainty forced many parents to send their children to public schools. This incident taught us that the demand for quality education far exceeds the capacity of our public schools”, she stated in a statement read by DepEd Undersecretary Revsee Escobedo.
Duterte conveyed that through the complementarity framework, the overcrowdedness in public schools could be addressed and access to quality education could also be spread to students from low-income families. “With this framework, we are leveraging the strengths of both the public and private sectors. Let us foster a collaborative environment where public and private schools work together to address the challenges and opportunities facing Philippine education today", she said.
