No let - up in protests against UM’s Base 20 policy

DAVAO CITY   -  Students from the University of Mindanao led by Anakbayan and League of Filipino Students staged a protest today to denounce the Base 20 and Retention policies imposed by the school’s administration.

Glenn Rubio of Anakbayan-UM chapter challenged the school administration to conduct a university-wide consultation to involve the almost 15,000 students currently enrolled in the university.

Thorough consultation is a requisite in implementing new policies even on autonomous schools. The students are stakeholders in this university and it is our right to demand this from the university ,” said Rubio.

The protest, being one in a series, calls on the university administration to hold a genuine consultation with the students before they implement two “highly questionable” policies, namely, the Base 20 grading system and Retention Policy.

Previously, series of protest actions were held, including a students’ walk-out, to register the student’s opposition to the new orders.

“Raising the passing grade to 80% will not solve the declining quality of education in the university. Why pass the burden onto the students? What the admin should do is to address faculty development, facility - upgrading and the amelioration of the university’s curriculum,” said Rubio.

Many students in UM believe that the implementation of the Base 20 and Retention policies is another profiteering scheme, knowing that with the increased passing percentage, many are likely to fail to re-enroll again. This, according to the students, is despite the poor quality of facilities and instructions in their university.

Anakbayan and LFS in UM call on the cooperation of all students and concerned members of the faculty to be united in calling for the scrapping of the Base 20 and Retention policies. The groups said that sustained protests will be held especially as the UM administration has remained blind and deaf to the clamor being raised against these policies. #