School to cooperate with probers on closure

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OFFICIALS of Colegio de San Lorenzo (CDSL) yesterday said they have fully refunded the tuition and other fees of the students in their K to 12 program, adding they will cooperate with the probe being done by the Quezon City government and the Department of Education on the school’s sudden closure days before the opening of classes last August 22.

In a statement, CDSL said its decision to shut down was prompted by financial reasons and low enrolment turnout over the past two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We have already refunded 100 percent of tuition fees for K to 12, Basic Education and more than half of the tuition fees of the college students have been processed,” the statement sent to reporters by the schools Board of Trustees said.

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But it did not say how many students were affected by the closure.

Several schools have come to the rescue of the affected students.

“We are encouraging the parents and students to come to our Accounting Office and receive their checks for refund,” the school added, saying its accounting office is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. from Monday to Friday.

CDSL said it hopes to complete the refund process by Friday, August 26, but added their offices will still remain open until September 20 for those who want to collect their refunds later.

“Of the Philippines’ 400 schools that closed during the pandemic, we hope we will be the last,” the statement said, adding CDSL’s efforts to find an investor willing to acquire and operate the 35-year-old institution went for naught, forcing its closure.

“We tried to find an investor to acquire the school and operationalize it even if we can no longer be a part of it. Unfortunately, by the start of this semester, enrollment had not recovered, an investor did not materialize, and we realized that the school could no longer be rescued,” the statement said.

Meanwhile, CDSL lawyer Mark Vixen Dorado said they will fully cooperate in any investigation on the closure of the school.

The Quezon City government, the DepEd and the Commission on Higher Education said CDSL did not follow protocols when it announced the closure without informing them first.

“It is very evident that Colegio de San Lorenzo is doing everything to help the students, and cooperate and participate with every government institution and government agency that seeks to have communication with it,” Dorado said.

He added that CDSL respects government authorities, adding he believes they are united in one goal — to look after the welfare of the affected students.

Dorado also said they are in contact with the DepEd, CHED, and other educational institutions to ensure that the transition will be “smooth and no student will be left behind.”

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