Party-list to hold consultation on school fees

Sunday, February 12, 2012

THE Kabataan party-list, in coordination with the City Council committee on education, will conduct a city-wide student consultation on school fees Monday amid application of higher education institutions for tuition and other school fees increase.

Dubbed as "Fees Talks: Konsultahang Kabataan Tungkol sa Pagtaas ng Matrikula at Iba Pang Bayarin," the activity is on its second round in consulting student leaders of different schools in the city about attempts to further increase tuition and miscellaneous fees for school year 2012-2013.

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The first round of consultation took place in November last year, where student leaders complained about dubious fees collected from them.

"We want to be informed with what is happening in the schools so that we can initiate measures to assist the students with their complaints," said Ronnie Clarion, regional spokesperson of Kabataan party-list.

"During the months of January and February, school administrations file their proposals for tuition and miscellaneous fee increases for the coming school year. Unfortunately, students have reported that they were not properly consulted, but the schools' proposals [for increases] were approved anyway," Clarion said.

For her part, Krista Melgarejo, vice president for Mindanao of the National Union of Students of the Philippines, said: "The term 'consultation', as we understand it, is a consensus between involved parties. But what is actually happening in schools are not consultations, but only mere presentations of proposals, which violates the right of the major stakeholders, which are the students."

According to the guidelines set by the Commission on Higher Education (Ched), the consultation period for proposals for tuition increases will end on February 28.

College Editors Guild of the Philippines vice president for Mindanao Paul Randy Gumanao lamented that "the current guidelines do not ensure genuine consultations and have become a mere rubber stamp for hastening the increase of school fees. We call on the Ched to do its mandate and implement stricter guidelines on not only tuition increases, but should also cover miscellaneous fees."

Over the decade, the national average in tuition rates has doubled. From P257.41 per unit in academic year 2001-2002, it has gone up to P536.31 for academic year 2011-2012.

In June of 2011, the Senate stated that the country produces an average of two million youth who drop out of school due to the increase of school fees.

Kabataan party-list believes that the government with its agencies, Ched and the House of Representatives should look into this matter to democratize the access of education to the Filipino youth.

"Families already have a hard time in keeping up with the rise in prices of commodities. Increase in school fees will only worsen their living conditions," Clarion said.