Half of schools in region XI to increase tuition; KABATAAN Partylist stages protest

Press Release | March 22, 2010 | Davao City- Youth and students led by KABATAAN Party-list staged a protest rally today lambasting the latest round of tuition and other fees increases which affected students in some 223 private schools and 2 state universities and colleges nationwide.

KABATAAN Party-list regional spokesperson Ronnie Clarion said that, “Sobra na kaayo ang pagkainutil sa CHED (Commission on Higher Education). Responsibilidad nila nga isiguro nga ang matag kabataan maka-eskwela apan ilahang gipasagdan nga magpatuyang ug pasaka og tuition ang mga eskwelahan.”

“With this, we are expecting that there is going to be a big upsurge in the numbers of out-of-school youth next school year,” added Clarion.

More than 50% percent of the educational institutions in the region declared their intent to implement tuition and other fees increase. Schools that will implement increases include Ateneo de Davao University at 6%, Brokenshire College of Davao, Holy Cross of Davao College at 11%, San Pedro College at 5% and University of Mindanao at 9.75%

Last Friday, students in the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) in Manila staged a walkout and burned dilapidated chairs and tables to show their rage against the proposed 2000% increase.

In Davao City, youth and students burned mini effigies to slam Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s inutility in failing to serve and defend the interest on the youth.

KABATAAN Party-list's hotline  received numerous reports of different violations in schools in Davao City. Regardless of the issuance of CHED Memo 02, series of 2010 that prohibits the implementation of the No-Permit, No-Exam policy (NPNE), majority of the schools are still barring students with delinquent accounts from taking their exams. In the University of Mindanao, the administration issued a memo stating that no student with unpaid fees shall be allowed to take the exams.

Cases of compulsory collection of graduation and yearbook fees were also reported in numerous secondary and elementary schools in Davao City.

“Ang paghatag og sakto nga badyet sa edukasyon usa ka solusyon aron matagaan kami og maayong kaugmaon”, Clarion explained. “Buhaton namo ang tanang lakang sa sulod man sa kongreso o sa kadalanan aron mahatagan og saktong pagtagad ang amoang panawagan”.

KABATAAN Party-list is pushing for free and quality education and is urging the public to continue sending reports of violations to its Hotline number 09213966786. #