Students oppose new education policies

CEBU, Philippines - Militant youth and student groups in Cebu City staged a protest rally Friday afternoon to oppose the alleged neoliberal policies implemented in state universities and colleges, such as the University of the Philippines.

The groups marked a national day of action yesterday against the alleged neoliberal attacks on the Philippine education, claiming that business sectors and foreign powers corrupt the public education by imposing policies to privatize the educational system.

"When we say neoliberalism, ang nangyayari dito imbes na mauna iyong karapatan ng mga estudyante para makakamit ng kalidad at natatamasa na edukasyon, ang nauuna ay iyong interest ng negosyo at  iyong interest ng dayuhan," Kabataan Partylist representative Sarah Elago told The FREEMAN.

Elago said in UP, these neoliberal policies are manifested in the Student Academic Information System (SAIS) and Acceptable Use Policy (AUP).

Elago said the youth party-list group supports the sentiments of some local UP students in questioning the new policies. In fact, the group filed a resolution before the House of Representatives urging the Committee on Higher Technical Education to conduct an investigation into the implementation of SAIS and AUP.

She stressed that access to education is a fundamental right and every citizen, especially the marginalized, can have access to this right if education is not commercialized.

"Hindi lang ito sa UP kung hindi pati sa maraming mga eskwelahan na nananawagan na our education is a right at hindi dapat pinagbibili at pinagkakakitaan. Ayaw na natin ng mga ganyang patakaran," said Elago.

"Ang panawagan ay libreng pampublikong edukasyon sa lahat ng antas hindi lamang hanggang high school kung hindi dapat diyan exempted ang mga state universities and colleges natin," she added.

Though President Rodrigo Duterte has already supported the call for free education at all levels, Elago said the president has not yet issued any clear and strong stand on the public education agenda.  (FREEMAN)