DAVAO CITY — Militant youth and students stormed the Commission on Higher Education (Ched) regional office during the first day of classes wearing face masks, placing a warning sign for the public that the agency was toxic and as deadly as any virus, slowly killing accessible, relevant, mass-oriented education.
Led by the Anakbayan, the students criticized the actions of Ched, demanding an to end the commercialization of the educational system and calling the agency the commission for ‘highly expensive’ education and the number one supporter of capitalist educators.
“We urge the youth and students to take part in the call to end the existence of this ‘toxic’ commission, which only served the interests of capitalist educators in keeping the educational system highly-commercialized, colonial and repressive,” said Anakbayan southern Mindanao spokerperson Sheena Duazo.
Anakbayan also criticized Ched for not giving any clear solutions to the problem of the students with regards to the unnecessary fees in both state and private colleges and universities. The youth group said hed failed in addressing their appeal last February for a tuition hike freeze.
“There may be colleges and universities that did not increase tuition this school year; the burden remains with the students who have to deal with exorbitant miscellaneous and other fees; it forces the youth to stop pursuing education in the tertiary level,” Duazo said.
The group stated that majority among all the colleges and universities in Davao City have not increased this year but there are still some which opted to increase. Prominent schools such as Ateneo de Davao University and the Rizal Memorial Coleges are just some of the colleges and universities that increased its tuition fee.
It was reported last February that at least 258 higher educational institutions, including four state colleges and universities (SUCs), sought Ched’s nod to hike their tuition fees the coming school year.
“We cannot help but take a stand against this pressing issue, especially with the impending threat of House Resolution Number 1109 or the constituent assembly, which is geared toward charter change. It would only lead to the full privatization and commercialization of all colleges and universities, leaving a bleak future for the Filipino youth,” Duazo said.
The group said that this first day protest will only become the start of the series of mass actions of the youth and students against the commercialization of education as well as confronting the issues of charter change.
For reference:
Sheena Duazo – Anakbayan Southern Mindanao spokesperson
0929-886-9631
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