Youth groups seek dialogue with Duterte

MANILA, Philippines - Militant youth organizations on Friday reiterated their call for a dialogue with president-elect Rodrigo Duterte to discuss issues hounding the education system, including the supposed problems brought about by the implementation of the K-12 program.

“We are more than willing to go to Davao and talk to Duterte, if that’s the only way to make him change his mind,” incoming Kabataan party-List Rep. Sarah Elago said, referring to Duterte’s decision to support the K-12 program.

 “In the meantime, we will continue to hold protests calling for the junking of the K-12 program. We also demand to let the Grade 10 completers graduate and let them enter college,” she added.

The student groups called on the incoming administration to stop the implementation of the reform program, saying it has produced more problems instead of addressing the existing ones.

“On school opening Monday last week, we saw how decrepit our education system is. School buildings still under construction, dilapidated chairs, classes with no teachers, classes in corridors. And with the implementation of the K-12, these problems became worse,” said Elago.

She also challenged the claim of the Department of Education (DepEd) that more than one million students have already enrolled in Grade 11.

Latest data from the DepEd’s learner information system showed that over 1.1 million students are now enrolled in private and public senior high schools across the country.

More than 1.4 million students finished Grade 10 last March, with DepEd saying it expects the number of enrollees in senior high school to increase in the coming weeks.

Higher tuition

Meanwhile, youth protesters also trooped to the head office of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) in Quezon City to voice criticisms against the education policies of the current administration.

The protesters threw red paint at the gates of the CHED office to denounce chairperson Patricia Licuanan and the continuing rise of tuition and other school fees in colleges and universities.

“We condemn these attacks against the youth’s right to education. The commercialization of education has forced thousands of students to drop out or, worse, commit suicide,” said Elago.

“We blame Aquino and Licuanan for the rampant and incessant tuition and other school fee hikes in private schools and universities. Aquino really is the Tuition Hike King,” she added.