DAVAO CITY – Youth activists hurled paint bombs at the gate of the Commission on Higher Education indignant over its defense of the tuition hike in 313 schools.
Vencer Crisostomo, chairperson of Anakbayan, has also called for a nationwide walkout protest against tuition hikes.
The CHED has announced that it allowed 313 schools to increase their fees, with 283 of them increasing their tuition while 212 increasing on other school fees.
Crisostomo warned that tuition hikes will result to an increase in drop-out rates and will affect the spending capacity of poor families. “As it is, half of school-aged youths are out of school and only 20 out of 100 students entering grade 1 graduate college,” Crisostomo said.
Crisostomo cited a case of student Jhomary Azaula from Eulogio Amang Rodriguez Institute of Science and Technology who committed suicide last May 19 “because he cannot continue his studies due to his family’s inability to support [him].”
“The CHED and the Aquino government has failed us, it is time for us, the Filipino youth, to stand up and fight for our right to education,” said Crisostomo.
