Davao City: Fifty-two Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) are set to open the school year this August. Commission on Higher Education (CHED) Davao Region spokesperson Dr. Luis Perez bared in yesterday’s One Davao on COVID 19 Virtual Presser that the office has somehow got the pulse of the Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) after CHED conducted a survey last April.
“Two schools claimed they are ready to start this month, 6 will open classes on July; 52 colleges to open on August, 13 on September, while 28 schools are not yet decided”, Dr. Perez said.
CHED XI, however, announced that opening of classes for Academic Year 2020-2021 will be based on the HEIs delivery mode, subject to compliance with minimum health standards and the situation on the ground.
In the CHED COVID Advisory No. 7 issued last May 24, it has cited that only HEIs which can use full online education can open this June; HEIs which will use flexible learning can open anytime in August; while HEIs which will use significant face-to-face or in person mode can open no earlier than 01 September 2020.
Dr. Perez also emphasized that the guidelines also provided that all HEIs which are still using the old academic calendar (June-May) are encouraged to change their academic year and open in August 2020 or later in the year.
He said with the latest CHED guidelines, the survey result gathered by CHED XI may change due to the conditions set in it factoring in on the modality mode to be used by the school.
During the start of the community quarantine, CHED XI already got issues and concerns expressed by the HEIs.
“ One, since they were not allowed to offer summer classes, these private institutions had difficulty sustaining the provision of salary for their personnel. They also expressed fear that they might be pushed to shut down operation of there won’t be enough students to enroll.”
Dr. Perez also stressed that HEIs also worry about coming up with instructional materials to fit in the flexible learning modalities.
To respond on this concern, CHED XI has been conducting webinars to help prepare most especially their personnel in coming up with instructional materials for flexible learning mode.
Experts on specific subject matter are invited to share inputs in the series of webinars offered by CHED XI.
“Another concern of the private schools is the increase in tuition. About 23 HEIs in Davao Region applied last February to be allowed to increase the tuition of students. But with the latest advisory of CHED, those who applied were allowed to reconsider and to conduct another consultation with their stakeholders. We also learned that some of these 23 HEIs opted not to pursue their application for tuition fee increase,” Dr. Perez said. (PIA XI/Frances Mae Macapagat)
