Ched: 2 more years to benefit students

CEBU, Philippines - Education officials in Central Visayas are expecting a strong opposition from the parents once the government starts adopting the proposed additional two years of education before students can enter college.

Requiring the students to undergo additional years in school would mean more money for parents to cough up, an unfavorable move during this time of economic crisis.

But Commission on Higher Education (Ched) 7 Assistant Regional Director Candelario “Doy” Aytona said adopting the Bologna Accord would give great advantage to the students because they could already compete in applying for jobs abroad.

Rev. Fr. Felino B. Javines Jr., the vice president for academic affairs of the University of San Carlos (USC), announced during the 888 News Forum at the Marco Polo Plaza Hotel yesterday that they are already preparing for it.

Javines strongly believes that President-elect Benigno Simeon “Noynoy” Aquino would make true his promise during the campaign period that he will give more emphasis on the improvement of the country’s education system.

Department of Education (DepEd) 7 Regional Director Recaredo Borgonia supports that adoption of the Bologna Accord in the Philippines to prepare our students if they wish to work abroad.

The Bologna Accord will be fully implemented in other countries starting this year. If we do not follow, our graduates will no longer be recognized in most European countries because they consider our graduates as not having fully completed their studies. The Bologna (pronounced bo-lo-nya) Accord is named after the university in which the first agreement was signed in 1999 – the University of Bologna in Italy.

The Ministers of Education of the 29 European countries agreed to make the school systems of their countries compatible with each other. Degrees from one country would then have to be accepted by any other country signing the accord.

Javines said President-elect Aquino had already signified his intention to adopt the provisions of the Bologna Accord in our country.

Although there is no specific guideline yet on how the Bologna Accord would be implemented here, Borgonia said he believes that the two additional years would be installed after high school.   (FREEMAN NEWS)