MANDATORY talks before tuition fee hikes are being sought here.
Councilor Edgar Avila is seeking to have an ordinance requiring private educational institutions to hold consultations on proposed tuition fee increases at least forty five days before the end of each school year.
“One of the basic problems of the youth and education sector when school opening comes each year is tuition fee increases,” Avila said.
The alderman said the new law when passed will remedy the situation by mandatory consultations; and the conduct of talks during the regular semester and not during summer classes; also consultations with the presence of the Chairman of the Council’s Committee on Education as part of his functions.
“Agreeably the schools most often than not consult the students, before imposing an increase, but unfortunately, such consultations are done during the summer classes when only a portion of the student leaders are out on vacation. Invariably, the results, vis-a-vis, an increase in tuition fee becomes only known at the start of the school year and because of the perceived failure to conduct consultations, student unrests becomes inevitable,” Avila said.
The law has been passed in its first reading and is dubbed as the "Proposed Tuition Fee Increase Consultation Act," requiring privately owned and operated schools, academies, colleges, and universities, duly registered and accredited by the Department of Education and Commission on Higher Education (CHED) to hold consultations.
The city, known to be home to hundreds of students enrolled in the many colleges and universities, earned its moniker as a University City.
Institutions annually report to CHED-CAR for proposed tuition fee increases, the higher education institutions (HEI) in region usually cite improvements of facilities to give all the students a better quality education as reasons for the hike in fees. (Maria Elena Catajan)