Not Your Usual Holiday Find: A Mum’s Review of APEC Schools

Who goes school hunting in December?
Well, I do. While everyone’s busy and many are still scrambling to get last-minute gifts for Christmas, yesterday I found myself checking out potential schools for my DD Tina who’s moving up to 7^th grade next year. Over dinner the other day, a good friend mentioned APEC Schools to me so I decided to find a bit more about it. So yeah — here I am sharing a short review of some sort in case, like me, you’re also doing some random school shopping right from your couch.

Since I anticipate Jan and Feb next year as busy vacation months for our fam, here I am trying to finish all the tasks I could tick off my to-do list this time of year.
Now on to the details. APEC is a pretty new network of schools from Ayala with over 20 branches in Metro Manila and nearby cities. When I called to inquire, these are some bits of info I got which you might find handy:

• Tuition Fee for Grade 7: 29,000 for morning class and 21,000 for afternoon class
• Payment Terms: Tuition fees can be paid in two ways either on cash or installment basis. There are no additional charges for the monthly installment plan FYI.
• APEC’S Differentiators over Other Schools: Full English language teaching, DepEd-approved curriculum, skills and values formation, schoolwide CCTV cameras, access to technology, access to an employer partner network
• Entrance Test: None, only an interview and basic assessment
• Student-Teacher Ratio: 1:45 approx

The tuition fee is VERY reasonable to think it already includes books and misc. fees (yup, you read that right). Of all the Christmas deals you’ve enjoyed over the last weeks, this value-for-money school could be one of the best finds on your list.
If you’re wondering what APEC stands for, it’s Affordable Private Education Center (doesn’t have anything to do AT ALL with the leaders’ conference which was concluded recently).
APEC offers two shifts (morning and afternoon) to give students options and more time to pursue other constructive interests outside school. They also pay close attention to English mastery, according to my friend, which I REALLY, REALLY LIKE. The admissions officer I talked to also told me they follow a no-homework policy to give kids enough time to engage in activities that matter as much to them. So far, so great isn’t it?

As if that isn’t interesting enough, APEC School also offers a collaborative approach to learning which teaches students to work together and leverage each other’s strengths. Everyone’s encouraged to experiment, make mistakes and learn fast from it, as this is the best way to grow and learn.
Did I get you excited about APEC? I think it’s worth checking out. As they say, the best deals are often gone too quickly. Reserving a seat now while all the others are caught up with the Christmas rush could be your best bet to secure a slot at APEC. Call them now at 720-2620 or you can also visit their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/APECSchools to know more.
 NOTE FROM THE BQP
More and more, parents are having challenges in meeting the daily demands of raising a family.  We all want to provide everything that our children need.  A good education is on top of that list.  Pre school tuition fees in private schools now cost more than P100k and the amount only increases as the students move on to the higher years.  Some parents resort to paying interest on their installment payments just to keep their kids in private schools.
The good news is that there is an alternative school that provides quality private education but is affordable.  This spells the big difference to parents out there who are looking for exactly what APEC has to offer.  The above article is  a testimony of one such parent.  I, on the other hand,  have firsthand account from my good friend who fell on hard times and had to pull out her daughter from a Katipunan- based all girl high school.  Now on her third year at APEC, her daughter is flourishing.  She tells me that the teacher to student ratio is good and that homework is mostly done in the campus which lets her teenager have a balanced school and social life.  For more information on APEC schools , please take note of the contact details enumerated above.