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Wednesday, January 02, 2008
Arroyo removes subsidies in state schools
MANILA -- Nursing and other popular but "non-mandated" courses will no longer be as inexpensive in state colleges and universities, after President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo ordered the removal of their "subsidies" Monday.
A Malacañang statement said Arroyo made the order following a meeting with education officials that lasted almost two hours at the presidential mansion in Baguio City.
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She also ordered the Department of Education (DepEd) to come up with guidelines on Korean and other foreign schools in the country to address the "confusion as to which government agency is regulating them."
Arroyo has noted, the statement added, that state universities and colleges (SUCs) have been "giving unfair competition" to private schools by offering courses outside of their mandate, including nursing.
She said some SUCs are offering the courses because they are "much in demand."
Arroyo said SUCs are "over-subsidized" and if they have to offer nursing and other in-demand courses, they should charge the full tuition fee so they would have funds for their other money requirements.
She also advised state schools and universities during the meeting attended by public and private education leaders to use their land grants to earn income.
"You (SUCs) want to be academically independent; academic independence comes with fiscal independence," she added, saying she gave the same advice to the University of the Philippines (UP) in Diliman, Quezon City.
During the meeting, Arroyo seconded the recommendation of Dr. Emmanuel Angeles, chairman of the Angeles University Foundation in Pampanga and a private sector member of the Presidential Task Force for Education (PTFE), for equal requirements and same standards for both private and public institutions of higher learning in the offering of new courses.
Other education leaders also proposed that local governments not put up local government-funded universities in areas where there are already SUCs.
But Arroyo pointed out that local governments are autonomous, while congressmen can always propose the setting up of local universities because of the separation of powers.
Arroyo, at the same time, ordered the Presidential Task Force for Education (PTFE) to advance the date of the proposed National Education Congress to January instead of May 2008.
She underscored her concern over the continuing deterioration of the country's educational system, especially English efficiency.
Responding to Arroyo's directive, the PTFE said it would convene the education congress in the later part of January.
Arroyo said the task force should present its first draft of proposed educational reforms to the entire educational sector so it could be improved on and as part of a consensus-building move.
She told Presidential Assistant for Education Mona Valisno it would be better to submit the task force's draft to her and education leaders in Northern Luzon for further suggestions and improvements.
These improvements could be incorporated in the final draft, she said.
"The draft does not need to be final. Present the draft to stakeholders so there will be no objections later on," she said.
Among those present during the PTFE consultative meeting were the heads of 12 state universities--including University of the Philippines (UP) Baguio chancellor Priscilla Macansantos, local government university head, and the heads of 12 private universities in Northern Luzon--Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley Region, and the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR).
At the meeting, Arroyo also ordered the Department of Education (DepEd) to submit to her the list of schools belonging to the "30 percent lowest performing" institutions all over the country.
The move is intended to give teachers of these schools the first crack at DepEd's teacher training program, especially in the English language.
Arroyo stressed that English proficiency should be "universal" among Filipino teachers.
She said "in-service training" in English should be held on weekends so teachers will continue to hold classes during regular school days.
Malacañang earlier earmarked P500 million for English training.
"We have to make sure their (the teachers') English is good. Really, English is not proceeding anywhere as fast as Math or Science? It is deteriorating. Something must be wrong with the educational system," she said.
The task force reported it had initiated the use of the local dialect, particularly Ilocano, Cebuano and Tagalog, in 16 public schools in the north and south in Grades 1 and 2
But English is the medium of instruction from Grade 3 up, the task force added. (JMR)
For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Pangasinan. (January 2, 2008 issue)
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