THE Coordinating Council of Private Educational Associations (Cocopea) and other private educational groups have pledged to collaborate with incoming Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary Juan Edgardo ‘Sonny’ Angara to enhance educational outcomes in the Philippines.
Secretary Angara emphasized the importance of public-private collaboration in improving the education system. “As we build from the legacy of my father, we continue the pursuit of making quality education accessible to all. One aspect of that will be ensuring the Constitutional edict on the complementarity of public and private education is put into practice,” Angara said.
Private school organizations committed to assisting DepEd in various initiatives, including learner programs, curricular reforms, teacher development, and capacity-building efforts. They underscored the importance of public-private complementarity programs.
During a Thanksgiving dinner on Tuesday, held in honor of Angara, Fr. Albert N. Delvo, Cocopea chairman, affirmed their readiness to collaborate: “We are ready to share our resources to immediately address the goals of the Department of Education under your leadership, to meet the education system’s challenges related to quality, employability, and public-private complementarity, including the expansion of government assistance and subsidies.”
In an open letter released on Friday, Cocopea highlighted the potential impact of the Government Assistance to Students and Teachers in Private Education (Gastpe) voucher program.
The program aims to enhance educational opportunities for millions of Filipino public school students, fostering complementarity between public and private schools, and driving overall improvement in education quality nationwide.
“We stand ready to assist you as proactive partners in this mission. We are ready to share our collective expertise and resources as we work together in the spirit of an all-of-society approach,” Cocopea’s statement reads in part.
Cocopea comprises five national educational associations, representing the largest group of private educational institutions in the country. Other private school groups supporting Angara include the Bicol Association of Private Schools, Colleges and Universities (Bapcu); Davao Colleges and Universities Network Inc. (Dacun); and the Association of Private, State Colleges, Universities in Region XI (Apscur XI).
The group recognized the urgent need to address challenges in the Philippine education system, such as access to quality education, technological integration, and infrastructure improvement.
“By working together, we can create a more robust and responsive educational framework that benefits all students, regardless of their background,” they noted.
“We look forward to a fruitful partnership and are eager to support your endeavors to enhance the quality of education in the Philippines,” Cocopea’s statement reads. (PR)
