SONA 2013: Youth ask more for education

MANILA, Philippines - About four months ago, Kristel Tejada, a freshman behavioral science student from the University of the Philippines (UP) Manila, took her own life, allegedly triggered by the depression caused by her inability to pay for her tuition.

There were numerous explanations offered regarding the cause of the suicide, but student groups framed her death as a result of the Philippine government's abandonment of the education sector, which, according to them, has evolved to become highly prohibitive for the poor.

There were calls for authorities concerned to resign, but the blame was ultimately targeted toward the administration of President Benigno Aquino III.

"We support the faculty’s demand for the UP Manila chancellor to be held accountable. However, resignation will not resolve the issue, the Aquino administration must be held accountable for state abandonment on education,” National Union of Students of the Philippines Deputy Secretary-General Sheryl Alapad said at the height of protests following Tejada's death.

Since the Aquino government started passing its own budget in 2011, there has been a steady increase in the budget it allocated for the Department of Education (DepEd), Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and state colleges and universities.

‘Far from desirable’

Data from the Freedom from Debt Coalition (FDC) showed that in 2011, the combined budget for DepEd, CHED and state schools increased by 16.8 percent from P185.26 billion in 2010 to P215.05 billion. This was followed by a 4.64-percent increase to P225.02 billion in 2012, and an 18.34-percent hike to P266.28 billion in 2013.

The figures, however, are not enough to meet the recommended budget that states should ideally spend for the education sector.

In 1996, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization advised that governments should spend a total of 6 percent of the country's gross national product (GNP) to education, but the Philippine government has yet to meet the global benchmark. In 2012 alone, the FDC said the Aquino administration only spent about 2.2 percent of GNP to education.

"We are calling the government, not just to increase the budget allocation for education, but to allocate sufficient budget for the education sector. Our current education spending is still far from the desirable 6 percent of our GNP," said Heart Diño, chair of the Student Council Alliance of the Philippines.

Carla Gonzalez, UP Diliman student council member and public information officer, added that while the government has an automatic budget appropriation for its debts, the same cannot be said for the education sector.

"There should be a policy for automatic (budget) appropriation for education," she said.

She added that such policy would create a positive chain reaction, especially among out-of-school youth.

"The ideal scenario is access for all. By access, that means full state subsidy for (state colleges and universities). In other countries, public schools are free and of good quality," she said.

Diño added that although the Aquino administration has pursued reforms to address problems in the education sector, a more holistic solution is needed to solve perennial problems in the sector.

She said that the passage of the K to 12 basic education program, which adds two more years of schooling, may only worsen the situation in the education sector amid problems that are yet to be addressed.

"In the absence of innovative ways of dealing with perennial problems such as, among others, classroom shortages, undermanned schools, decline in teaching competence, and dearth of facilities necessary for proper instruction, adding more years may only serve to worsen the Philippine education situation," she said.

Deeper focus on youth

Early this year, DepEd declared that there would be enough classrooms in the country before school started in June.

However, Alliance of Concerned Teachers party-list Rep. Antonio Tinio disputed this claim, saying that there was still a shortage of 46,567 teachers and 32,844 classrooms when public schools opened last June.

Aside from issues in the education sector, Diño said the government also has to focus on other matters involving the youth.

"Aside from the deteriorating quality and inaccessibility of education, other pressing issues would be the violation of students’ rights and welfare. There are a lot of cases of discrimination in schools, which compromises the integrity of education. Passage of Students’ Rights and Welfare Bill and Anti-Discrimination Bill will address the issue," she said.

Diño added that youth participation in governance is also important for youth development, despite recent calls from lawmakers to abolish the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK), a youth-based government in the barangay level. The Commission on Elections reportedly plans to ask the 16th Congress to pass a law abolishing the SK.

"...(T)his move of abolishing SK is essentially anti-youth. Yes, there are flaws in the system but we should look into reforming it than abolishing the institution. And also I think, more than reforming SK, let’s create more avenues for the youth to recognize its responsibility in nation building," she said.

As the Aquino administration enters its second and final half in office, youth leaders like Alapad, Gonzalez and Diño continue to call for numerous policies and reforms to address problems surrounding the youth sector. While there is recognition that the government is pursuing reforms, their demands ultimately question extents.

When Tejada committed suicide last March 15, student groups pointed out the government's alleged abandonment of education. The UP administration defended itself by saying that it bent over backwards to accommodate her request to reclassify her financial standing to avail of government subsidy.

But UP Manila Chancellor Manuel Agulto was honest in defending the premier state university, whose students like Gonzalez have regularly demanded an increase in state support.

"UP did what they could. Was it enough? Probably not," he said.