55 schools out of voucher program due to 鈥榞host students,鈥� other issues
Department of Education Central office in Pasig City —File photo by Niño Jesus Orbeta | Philippine Daily Inquirer
MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Education (DepEd) has terminated the participation of 55 schools in the senior high school (SHS) voucher program for various reasons, including the alleged presence of “ghost students.”
This figure was divulged by Tara Rama, Project Manager III of the DepEd, when asked by Kabataan Party-list Rep. Raoul Manuel about the exact number of alleged ghost or nonexistent students under the said initiative.
READ: DepEd: P52M almost went to ‘ghost students’ in 12 private schools
Instead, she gave out the number of schools they terminated from the program starting 2023 — covering School Years 2021 to 2022, 2022 to 2023, and 2023 to 2024.
“We started terminating. We had 22 schools for the School Year 2021 to 2022. That’s 22 [terminated] in February 2023. And we terminated another 32 schools for the School Year 2022 to 2023. For 2023 to 2024, we already have one terminated and under investigation another 12,” Rama revealed during the committee on basic education and culture’s hearing on Thursday.
Manuel then asked about the number of vouchers released to these schools. But Rama could not give the exact figure and instead said that DepEd did not release P200 million worth of vouchers after spotting “discrepancies” from the schools.
“We cannot say that they were ghost students because it might be that they went to a private school for the first few months, and then later they left and went back to a public school because of a problem. We cannot say for sure that they were all ghost students,” she explained in Filipino.
To give an estimate, Rama said beneficiaries per school range from a hundred to a thousand, while teaching personnel per school is around 30.
Regarding the 12 private schools currently under investigation due to SHS students found to be nonexistent, the DepEd earlier said it stopped the release of vouchers and saved over P50 million in taxpayer money.
DepEd chief Sonny Angara said the “potential defraudment” under the program amounted to P52,571,500, covering the School Year 2023 to 2024.
However, he did not identify the schools and only revealed that they are located in Metro Manila, Davao, Ilocos, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Eastern Visayas and the Bangsamoro.
The DepEd rolled out the program in 2015 in a bid to make SHS education more accessible to students in low-income families and minimize overcrowding in public schools as grantees may enroll in private institutions using the vouchers.
The amount of each voucher ranges from P14,000 to P22,500, depending on the student’s location.
