Msgr. Gerry Santos (Photo: CEAP)
MANILA, May 27, 2013— A 10 percent tuition fee increases in Catholics schools may sound like a lot but it is not for some who risk losing teachers demanding salary hike.
Msgr. Gerry Santos, president of Manila Archdiocesan and Parochial Schools Association (MAPSA), said its members risk losing teachers to public schools that offer better pay.
In a radio interview, he said that Catholic schools need to raise school fees to keep their teachers from moving to public schools.
“The starting salary for our teachers ranges between P11, 000 to P14, 000 a month unlike in public school which is P19, 000 so our salary is way below what government is giving,” Santos said.
Santos is a former president of the Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines (CEAP).
He appealed to parents and critics to understand why some Catholic schools are raising tuition fees this school year.
“Just passing this 10 percent increase was even hard for Board of Trustees for fear that we lose students. But if you don’t do this, the teachers will also move to public schools,” said Santos.
MAPSA is composed of around 117 member schools from within the Ecclesiastical Province of Manila. (CBCPNews)
