The Department of Education has increased by 98 percent the education service contracting slots for Grade 7 students who wish to continue their secondary education in private schools, its press release said.

Secretary Armin Luistro of DepEd said the number of slots has increased from 190,536 in school year 2011-2012, to 377,227 slots this school year under the Government Assistance to Students and Teachers in Private Education program, the press release also said.

The amount of grant has likewise increased from P5,500 to P6,500 for First Year Education Service Contracting grantees outside of the National Capital Region starting this school year.

In DepEd Memorandum 94 series of 2012, the increase in the number of slots was based on need given the normal carrying capacity of public secondary schools.

For Luzon, the slots increased from 101,520 last year to 223,781 this year; 39,035 to 74,106 slots for the Visayas; and from 49,981 to 79,341 in Mindanao. GASTPE subsidizes the tuition of students who enroll in private high schools in lieu of public high schools because the latter can no longer accommodate them.

The Regional Program Committee of GASTPE is responsible for the distribution of the Grade 7 ESC slots in each participating school on the basis of need and on the school’s demonstrated capacity to utilize slots previously allotted to them.

Luistro said a report on the distribution and utilization of the ESC slots must be forwarded to the DepEd Central Office on or before June 30, the press release added.*

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