Educators urge private school group: Don't join NTF-ELCAC

Teachers and academics are asking the Coordinating Council of Private Educational Associations (COCOPEA) to rethink its decision to join the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC).

-  NEIL JAYSON SERVALLOS

In a statement, academic group Scholars for Peace said COCOPEA's decision to join the NTF-ELCAC was "misguided and self-defeating," as the government agency has been targeting students, teachers and school administration in its red-tagging operations.

"Lest we forget, even entire academic institutions, including private schools, have been targets of red-tagging, due to the persistent insinuations of NTF-ELCAC officials that schools and universities are the preferred recruitment spots of the Communist Party of the Philippines," Scholars for Peace said.

Composed of about 1,500 private schools nationwide, COCOPEA joined the NTF-ELCAC as part of its executive committee last week.