For all State Colleges and Universities; Youth group wants to stop “controversial policy”

CEBU, Philippines - The youth wing of the militant Partido ng Manggagawa, PM-Kabataan-Cebu, called for a stop to the controversial “no late payment” policy not just at the University of the Philippines but also with the rest of state colleges and universities in the country.

 Ruben Josol, PM-Kabataan spokesperson in Cebu, said that such policy is anti-student and anti-poor.

“Education is a right, not a privilege,” said Josol, adding that the death of UP student Kristel Tejada should not be in vain.

“Rather, it should lead to reforms that would address discrimination against poor students in the premier public university because of inability to pay tuition fees.  This is not for UP alone but so with the rest of state colleges and universities,” Josol added.

Tejada committed suicide after she was forced to file a leave of absence (LOA) due to unpaid tuition fees.

 PM-Kabataan is advocating a set of demands called “Apat na Dapat” as a challenge to candidates in the elections and an increase in the budget for education is among them.

  For her part, former Las Piñas Rep. Cynthia Villar has vowed to pursue the proposed measure filed by her husband, outgoing Senator Manny Villar, which prohibits colleges and universities from preventing students to take examinations over unpaid tuition and other school fees.

In October of 2011 Sen. Villar, a former House Speaker and Senate President, filed a bill to keep higher educational institutions from implementing “No permit, No Exam” policies, saying it amounts to depriving students the right to take examinations.

Villar’s bill, however, allows schools to withhold grades and clearances of students, and keep them from enrolling again until they settle their accounts.

But Villar’s bill was not passed in the Senate although it was referred to the Senate committee on education chaired by Senator Edgardo Angara. Its counterpart bill was approved on third reading in the House of Representatives.

The senator’s wife said it is lamentable this ‘unfortunate’ incident happened to a young “Iskolar ng Bayan” at UP Manila, who could have been the ‘key’ to save her parents and four younger siblings from poverty.

“Another life was wasted due to poverty,” said Villar, who has also been advocating jobs for everybody to lead a comfortable life.

Rep. Villar, in a statement sent to The FREEMAN, also underscored the need to revisit and review the policies of our State Universities and Colleges (SUCs), to which UP Manila belongs, and the other educational institutions in the country.

She said there should also be a review of the SUCs policies for non-payment of tuition fees.

Meanwhile, SUCs in the country should impose a moratorium on tuition increases this coming school year to lessen the burden on poor families who have been struggling to give their children and relatives college education.

Team PNoy senatorial candidate Edgardo “Sonny” Angara, in a separate statement, said it is the mandate of the SUCs to provide affordable college education.

Angara, chairman of the House of Representatives’ committee on higher and technical education said that the death of Tejada should serve as a wake-up call to the SUCs and this calls for a “pause and a breather” from any tuition fee hike. — (FREEMAN)