GRADE 10 graduates of public schools can now have the opportunity to study in a private school, as Ayala Corp.’s Affordable Private Education Center (Apec) Schools offers 3,500 seats for free for those entering senior high school (SHS) this year.
Fred Ayala, CEO of Ayala Education, said the move is guided by their vision to transform lives through affordable high-quality education.
“We have designed Apec Schools to provide as many students as possible with the improved learning opportunities they deserve, without compromising quality and affordability. This is in line with our commitment to help address unemployment and enable inclusive growth, by producing globally competitive graduates who are very qualified to either enter college or the professional work force,” Ayala said.
In a news briefing on Wednesday, Ayala said the Apec Schools now have 3,300 students, after opening 18 months ago. Beth G. Lui, CEO of Apec Schools, said this initiative is also in line with their efforts to make quality private education more accessible to public-school graduates. “It is our goal that as many Filipinos as possible should have access to modern and tech-enabled learning systems. DepEd’s SHS vouchers and our innovations enable us to offer our unique program to thousands of deserving students, and prepare them for a brighter future,” she said.
Lui said Apec Schools’ practical use of facilities also contributes to helping achieve the vision of keeping tuition low, while achieving high standards of education.
“Pursuing our mission often means operating in densely populated areas, where we have to make creative use of limited space available. Innovative solutions, such as science lab-in-a-box solutions, are some of the different delivery approaches we are introducing,” Lui said.
As the Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013, commonly called the K to 12 law, is implemented and the additional two years, representing Grades 11 and 12, are introduced to schools nationwide effective SY 2016-2017, Apec Schools, a joint venture of Ayala Education and the United Kingdom-based education leader Pearson, will open their doors to thousands of incoming SHS students, some of whom will be attending private school for the first time. Starting July, Apec Schools will be offering its Grade 11 afternoon shift to public-school Grade 10 graduates in the National Capital Region (NCR) at an all-in cost of P22,500, which is inclusive of tuition, all fees (including the energy fee for air conditioning) and books.
This is equivalent to the SHS voucher that the DepEd is providing to all public-school graduates in this region, which means that public-school graduates who enroll at Apec Schools can attend the schools with no “out-of-pocket” costs. For its branches outside the NCR, Apec is lowering the cost of its afternoon shift even further, to match the exact value of the DepEd vouchers given in these regions.
Apec Schools will also be offering their Grade 11 morning shift to both public-and private-school Grade 10 graduates at an all-in cost of P32,500. For public-school graduates in the NCR, this translates to an all-in, out-of-pocket cost of P10,000, or P27 per day, after taking into account the SHS voucher. For private-school graduates who qualify for 80 percent of the SHS voucher, this translates to an all-in, out-of-pocket cost of P14,500. These out-of- pocket costs can be paid on a monthly basis.
Proprietary SHS Program Apec Schools offer LINC (Learning with Industry Collaboration), a special program for the ABM (Accounting and Business Management) Academic Track, which is fully compliant with the curriculum standards and learning hours prescribed in the DepEd’s SHS Program. LINC is a Senior High curriculum specifically designed by Ayala Education to help bridge the problem of job and skills mismatch. LINC empowers graduates to either pursue any college degree of their choice, or find white-collar, professional employment, should they decide to find work right away, either as a part-time college student or a full-time employee.
The LINC program has three key unique features: (1) Mastery of English; (2) Technology Immersion; and (3) Connection with Employer Partners. Students are immersed in an English-speaking environment, and undergo extensive career training in classrooms fully equipped with laptops on a 2:1 ratio. The facilities are air-conditioned and equipped with closed-circuit television cameras for safety.
The LINC curriculum is codesigned with Ayala Education’s Employer Partner Network, which includes some of the most reputable companies in the country today. Shortly before graduation, Apec Schools’ students undergo real-world work simulations, which boost their skills, experience and confidence, before joining the experience and confidence before joining the work force, or moving on to college.
Apec Schools offer a unique approach to education enhanced by global best practices. Lessons are streamlined to target building and improving necessary skills to better prepare students for real-world challenges. This methodology, called Active Learning, prioritizes activities that develop an individual’s multiple capacities, including critical thinking, creativity and innovation, communication, collaboration and problem-solving.
Apec Schools offers innovative ways to bring concepts out of the confines of books and into the larger world.
Monette Sabio, Head of Teaching at Apec Schools, said, “Instead of merely reading ideas out loud, our students are encouraged to apply concepts into practice like converting simple theories into practical solutions beneficial to their environment. As the collaborative element of learning becomes more important in today’s highly connected world, these kids are taught not just to leverage their own capacities, but to harness the strengths of the group or community to which they belong.”
Apec Schools invests heavily in its teachers and in continuous teacher-development programs.
“Our teaching team is a combination of expert and master teachers, with many years of experience, as well as recent college graduates, who share our passion for education. We provide continuous coaching and training, using internal as well as external resources. To retain our teachers, we offer our teachers competitive salaries with attractive corporate benefits that include their families, and great opportunities for growth, as our school chain grows,” Sabio said.