EDITORIAL - Inanities of K to 12 policies continue

CEBU, Philippines - When government first announced its K to 12 program, it met with resounding and widespread opposition. But the Aquino government is an obstinate one. It pressed ahead with the program despite the many valid issues and concerns raised against it. Among these were the unpreparedness of the system to take in the program efficiently, the inequality of standards between urban schools and those in the rural areas, and the added financial burden of two more years on parents.

Since government courted a revolution if it pressed on without at least addressing some of the valid issues, it decided to settle on the easiest one - the financial burden on parents. This was the easiest concern to hurdle because all government needed to do was subsidize the added cost. And so it did. Government decided to set aside some money in the budget to help defray the added cost of two more years of high school.

But just as the K to 12 program itself was haphazardly conceived, so was the intended subsidy for students. Government decided that the subsidies would not be equal, both in the amount and in the process. Students from public schools enrolling in private schools will get higher subsidies than those already in private schools. And subsidies for those going from public schools to private will be automatically given while those in private schools need to apply for the subsidies.

All these inequalities notwithstanding the fact that the subsidies come from the same taxes that go to government coffers. In fact, if distinctions have to be forced just to underscore the point, the parents of those in private schools are presumed to pay higher taxes. The least government should have done, if it cannot make the amount of subsidies equal, is to ensure the subsidies are enjoyed by everyone automatically, without having to be applied for, and possibly be rejected.

But the ridiculousness of government does not stop there. Now the government has announced a deadline for all applications. All the while, the public was made to believe that the subsidies were meant to ease the burden on parents that an added two years of high school will bring. If that had been the case, the subsidies must be made available all the time, without any time constraints.

So what is eating this government? Why does it want to impose a deadline? A deadline defeats the purpose of the subsidies. We are not in a race here. We are not in a hurry. If the subsidies are meant to help parents through two more years of high school, they should be available at all times during those two years. They should not be withdrawn just because applicants failed to beat a useless deadline.

What for is the deadline? The money comes from a budget with a specified purpose. Government has no right hijacking even a centavo from the allocation. Is the government trying to scoop up some of the money and divert it elsewhere? Will the money saved from unmet deadlines not end up in the pockets of some greedy people being favored by this government?