In social media, nonprofit private schools are defined as “independent institutes, not owned by the government or a church, funding themselves through tuition, fundraising, and endowments, rather than distributing profits to shareholders.”
More: “They are governed by a self-perpetuation board of trustees and are distinguished from for-profit private schools to serve students without aiming for financial returns for owners. They control their own operations and finances.”
AI Overview reports: “Nonprofit private schools exist in a great many countries around the world, but a specific worldwide count is not provided because the sector is vast and includes diverse institutions from elite international schools to low-cost schools.
“Nonprofit schools are restricted in some countries, such as the United Kingdom, but nonprofit schools are a significant and growing part of the global private education landscape. [Their] presence… is a worldwide phenomenon.”
‘Very smart kids’
Joanna Verano, a resident of British Columbia in Canada, has an upbeat story to share about nonprofit schools. The one she used to work with, Pearson College, is part of the United World Colleges (UWC) movement which has 18 colleges worldwide.
Pearson College UWC is “a two-year pre-university institution (equivalent to up to Grade 12 + 13) with an international baccalaureate curriculum,” Verano said. She said that during her time there, 85% of the students were on scholarship, and that Filipinos have attended the UWC on such arrangements.
Verano described the students as “very smart kids—the ones who are potential change-makers are accepted.”
Her job involved raising money “so we could continue to offer scholarships to students around the world,” she said, adding: “I was a fundraiser, part of the administration team, and a member of the Advancement and External Relations Department.”
Philippine setting
In the Philippines, there is apparently not much information on nonprofit private schools to be had from the Department of Education. Wanting to know more about the matter, I had sent questions to Education Secretary Sonny Angara through a relative of his in Baler, Aurora. But this effort produced no results. I was eventually informed that Secretary Angara was preoccupied with other, more important, issues.
Strictly speaking, elite Catholic schools like the Ateneo de Manila University and De La Salle University may be considered nonprofit because their earnings go back to them only. But they are owned by religious orders—in their case, the Jesuits and the Christian Brothers, respectively—and they charge high tuition because of, among other factors, the quality education they provide.
As one educator in St. Scholastica’s College in Manila once said, “If you want quality education, you have to pay for it.”
Success story in Bicol
There is one nonprofit private school in the country that is reported to be a success: the University of Saint Anthony in Iriga City, Camarines Sur. Its president, Emmanuel Ortega, talked about its continuing progress at a recent roundtable discussion with reporters in Quezon City.
“Every peso we earn is reinvested directly into our students, faculty, and staff—into our scholarships, benefits, improved facilities and stronger programs that make quality learning both competitive and accessible,” said Ortega, a lawyer.
“Unlike in profit-driven schools,” he said, “our accountability lies with the families who entrust us with their own children’s future, not the shareholders.”
The University of Saint Anthony was founded in 1947 as a night school by Ortega’s grandfather, Santiago Ortega, and expanded through the years by the latter’s son, Santiago Ortega Jr. From information gathered online, it now offers education from kindergarten to graduate school, including specialized programs in business, nursing and education.
Emmanuel Ortega assumed the presidency of the university in 2022.
Speaking at the roundtable, he expressed the beliefs that serve as the backbone of the nonprofit university that now has over 10,000 students: “We believe that nonprofit schools, when managed well, can be as competitive as proprietary schools, but with lower tuition and made more accessible through scholarships. We also believe that deserving students shouldn’t be deprived of education because of their financial circumstances.
“That’s why we allocate significant resources for scholarship, and continue to partner with government and private donors to ensure that financial limitations don’t hinder talent.”
Can this educational outlook be replicated elsewhere in this country that so badly needs it? CS
