13,000 students leave private schools, go public

Private schools are worried about the high number of students transferring to public schools. The Federation of Associations of Private Schools and Administrators (FAPSA) said more than 13,000 private school students in Metro Manila have transferred to public schools since the start of the school year due to the steady rise in tuition. It added several private schools have shut down. FAPSA fears if the situation is not addressed, private schools for middle class students could become a thing of the past. FAPSA is asking the Department of Education (DepEd) to create a separate bureau to address the problems of private schools. But DepEd said it is already providing financial aid to a number of public school students so they can enroll in private schools. ANC Dateline Philippines, June 11, 2014