CDO student drop-outs skyrocket – youth groups

July 8, 2008

By Lizanilla J. Amarga

A number of students in Cagayan de Oro yesterday voiced apprehensions that the number of dropped-out students this school year 2008-2009 and corresponding out-of-school youths will continue to soar “as a result of the nation’s chronic economic crisis and the ever high price of education in the country.”

Kabataang Pinoy Party – CDO spokesperson Vanessa Entia and National Union of Students of the Philippines (NUSP) northern Mindanao coordinator Raymond Basilio said they already observed how some students were unable to get themselves to any of the schools here in Cagayan de Oro City.

They said even those who were able to get themselves enrolled for this school year only lasted barely a month and became out-of-school youths.

The two groups blamed Pres. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo who allowed the Commission on Higher Education (Ched) to continue implementing Memorandum No. 13 this school year 2008-2009.

They said the order allows schools to increase their tuition and other fees without any further consultation as long as it is below or within the national inflation rate which is now reported to be skyrocketing to unprecedented heights.

Entia said this order paved the way for school owners to earn high profit at the expense of the students.

“The Commission on Higher Education must have released a memorandum that will ensure transparency and justice to the tuition payers instead of issuing such memorandum,” she said.

She added that the “commission thru the Ched Memorandum No. 13 “only proves our belief that they serve not the students and peoples’ interest but as conspirators of the capitalist educators.”

Basilio said Arroyo also called for a tuition moratorium in state colleges and universities but did not include those under the Private Higher Educational Institutions (PHEIs).

He said it is clear that Arroyo has no intention to heed the call of the students.

“Majority of the colleges and universities in the country are privately managed, here in Cagayan de Oro City alone, we only have two state funded institutions,” said he said.

He added that Arroyo could have also directed Ched “to put on halt tuition and other fees increases for this school year.”

Basilio said youth and student groups have been demanding that Arroyo will heed their demands to make sure education remains accessible to even the poor but she had only turned deaf ears to their pleas.

“With the way the present government deals with our demands, we see no light for us. We see no hope for the nation’s future leaders. Our future is at stake!” Basilio said.

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Written by admin · Filed Under Cagayan de Oro