DepEd eyes 2.4M learners in private school subsidies
The Department of Education (DepEd) is targeting to subsidize the schooling of more than 2.4 million students under the Expanded Government Assistance to Students and Teachers in Private Education (E-Gastpe).
Nearly 990,000 junior high school students will be covered by the Educational Service Contracting (ESC) program, while around 1.47 million senior high school learners will benefit from the Senior High School voucher program (SHS-VP) for school year 2026-2027.
Education Secretary Sonny Angara said the program would allow families to enroll their children in private schools, easing financial pressure while helping to decongest public classrooms.
“President Marcos’ priority is to ease the burden of Filipino families when it comes to tuition and other school fees,” Angara said in a statement on Friday.
“A child’s education should not stop just because of lack of money. Government assistance should reach the families who need it most. These subsidies are meant to keep children in school,” he added.
DepEd has also rolled out revised guidelines for the E-Gastpe, which now unifies the implementation of ESC, SHS-VP and the Teachers’ Salary Subsidy under a single framework.
The new rules place stronger emphasis on prioritizing learners from disadvantaged backgrounds, including those in low-income households, Indigenous Peoples communities and geographically isolated areas.
