Youth group eyes passage of bill on students’ rights

Amid the recent move of private schools to increase tuition fees, Akbayan Youth is calling for the immediate approval of a House bill that would ensure that students would be given representation in the national decision-making process on issues affecting them. 

Ernie Edralin, Akbayan-Youth Cebu chapter chairman, said they are pushing for the passage of House Bill 2584, which Akbayan Party-list Rep. Risa Hontiveros-Baraquel has filed last year. 

Edralin said the recent statement of President Gloria Arroyo that there would be no tuition fee increase in state universities and colleges, and her request to the private schools are futile because they could not address the problem on education.

Despite the President’s request, many private schools have recently increased their tuition and miscellaneous fees.  

“What the President asked is just a quick fix solution to the very big problem that confronts the country’s education sector,” said Edralin, adding that the same problem will happen next year.

He said what the government should do is improve the teaching and quality of education in the government-run schools so students will not enroll in private schools where tuition fees are more than twice as high as those in the state colleges and universities. 

Edralin said that another problem that the government should address is the move to privatize SCUs. 

“Daghan mga kabatan-unan wala kaeskwela or katiwas pag-eskwela kay di priority nila ang pagsulod sa SCUs kay low quality ang education. So ang uban mo-agwanta na lang sa private maski mahal,” he stressed.

With these perennial problems that beset the country’s education sector, he said that one of the best solutions is make the students part of the policy-making process.

HB 2584, or an Act Providing a National Policy on Students’ Rights and Welfare, recognizes that students have rights to meaningful participation in the decision-making process inside and outside educational institutions, especially in the formulation and crafting of policies affecting students.

Edralin observed that at present, students are not part of the schools’ board of regents and are not even consulted on the plans of schools to increase tuition fees.

“There should be posting of proposals for any tuition fee increase and there should be meeting with students and parents because they have also their rights to present their stand on the matter,” he said.— Wenna A. Berondo/LPM