young radicals

Happy Mother's Day

Here's the government's mother's day "present": CHEd OKs tuition hike of up to 7.6%.

Upon reading the story, it will seem that the CHEd is giving us students and our parents a favor by limiting the tuition increase to equal the inflation rate. But as usual, we're not seeing the whole picture.

The real deal is that, actually, the CHEd is institutionalizing tuition increase in their recent memo (CHEd Memo Order No. # 14) on tuition increases. Before the memo, tuition increases (whether below inflation or above inflation) are subject to consultations with students and approval of the concerned parties (students, parents, faculty, school-owners). Now, the CHEd is excluding all tuition increases lower than the inflation rate from student scrutiny.

This is absurd as it does not take into consideration the cases of unjust and exhorbitant increases that has occured during the past years under the deregulated education industry. The tuition is now high as it is. Proof of this is the bankruptcy of some college education plans due to unabated tuition increase. There is no reason to allow any percentage of increase, especially, without proper consultations and study.

This is what Carlito Puno, CHEd Chair, is actually saying: "...well, we can't actually stop tuition increase because our office is so inutil, so let's just make panggap. Let's actually give them (school owners) a favor by allowing them to make taas their tuition freely (meaning without consultation) but let's limit it kunwari to the inflation rate lang. Anyway, wala din naman tayong magagawa kung ilagpas nila, they'll just maniobra the consultations as they've been doing in the past anyway. Bottom line: we'll have something to say this enrollment to make us look pogi."

What else to make them look pogi? Inq7 report:

Puno, however, said there would be no increase in the tuition of state universities and colleges (SCUs) except for the University of the Philippines College of Medicine which had not raised its tuition in the last 14 years.

Yeah right, but did he mention anything about the other fee increases? Students in UP Diliman are now complaining about the hundreds of pesos planning to increase their laboratory fees. And there is a coming proposal to the Board of Regents to increase the UP tuition to P1,200 per unit!

What does this make of the CHEd's statements? Freaking bullshit propaganda.

On another topic: here's a mother's day continuation of the column that gave light to our Easter Sunday titled The gift of Erika.

posted by Vencer @ 7:28 PM