QUEZON CITY, Philippines – Sporting placards with bold danger signs students from Youth for Nationalism and Democracy (YND), assails the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) as 267 or 16.3% private colleges and universities out of the 1,666 in the country spikes tuition fees for AY 2012-2013.
According to YND Spokesperson Elmer Aresgado, “P.Noy government’s adherence to an ineffective policy and CHEDs subservience to the neo-liberal framework has turned Philippine education into a money-making venture rather than a vital social service that must be made available to all.”
“This new increase has put Juan’s future an inch closer to danger”, Aresgado said explaining that higher tuition fee means less access to education thus more drop out rates. Citing as an example the increase in the Technological Institute of the Philippines (TIP) which totaled to Php 6,000 while HEIs in the region added 7.5% or Php 76.25 to their per unit charge.
YND also pointed out that CHEDs effort to curb tuition increase through the more stringent CHED Memorandum Order (CMO) No.3 which will be implemented in 2013 is the commission’s lame effort to address the problem.
This gaping lack of state responsibility is more translucent in the 238.8 B education budget which does not comply with the UNESCO which allots 6% of the governments GNP to education. On the one hand, it vocally encourages the increasing role of the profit-oriented private sector in providing for education.
“We demand for a mass-oriented, nationalist, scientific and accessible quality education,” quips May Manluping, a private school student in Quezon City who joined the protest action.
YND further explained that the only way to achieve the aforesaid is through a self-sufficient and a foreign domination free economy.
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