DAVAO CITY, Philippines – The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) has approved the application of 34 higher educational institutions (HEIs) in the Davao region increase tuition and other school fees for school year 2019-2020.
The CHED-XI has posted in its official Facebook page the list of private universities and colleges that it allowed to raise its fees collected from the students.
In the Davao region, the average increase for tuition fee is 5.73 percent or P27.89 per unit; and 5.79 percent or P30.16 for other school fees.
“These rates are below the national averages, wherein the increase in tuition fee is 10.49 percent or P117.27 in peso equivalent per unit and 12.55 percent or P483.63 in peso equivalent for other school fees,” the CHED-XI release reads.
The CHED-XI said that the application of the 34 HEIs was approved after conducting “consultations” with respective stakeholders including students, faculty, alumni and parents; as well as “compliance with all the requirements.”
Meanwhile, the CHED reiterated that no state universities and colleges (SUCs), as well as local universities and colleges (LUCs), have increased its fees in compliance with Republic Act No. 10931 or Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act of 2017.
Several students in private schools aired their concerns online. Many said that they already were compelled to work part-time just to pay for the school fees.
Others feared that another tuition hike would only discourage many youths from continuing their schooling.
Progressive youth group Anakbayan in Southern Mindanao Region (Anakbayan-SMR) denounced the CHED’s approval to yet another spate of increases on top of the already high cost of fees in several universities and colleges in the region.
Anakbayan-SMR spokesperson Audrey Sillada slammed that the government complicity in profiteering in schools, saying this further deprives the youth of their right to education.
“It only goes to show how commercialized the education system is here in the country,” she said.
Also, Sillada questioned the supposed consultations for the application for tuition and other school fee increases.
She pointed out that there was no transparent consultation done in schools especially among the students and parents.
Anakbayan reiterated its call to CHED and the Duterte administration to junk tuition and other school fees increases. Instead, it said that CHED and the administration should show sincerity in providing the Filipino youth with accessible and quality education. (davaotoday.com)
