Student union slams CHED-7 over tuition fee hikes in Cebu

CEBU, Philippines —  The National Union of Students of the Philippines - Cebu (NUSP-Cebu) strongly condemned the Commission on Higher Education-7’s approval of three tuition fee hikes in Cebu amid health and economic crisis and lack of student representation.

“This in spite of CHED-7 recognition of NUSP-Cebu as the official student representative of the Regional Multi-sectoral Committee on Tuition and Other School Fees, which should have been convened as it have for several years since the implementation of CHED Memorandum Order No. 3 series of 2012,” said Hans Noel Balila, NUSP-Cebu deputy secretary-general for campaigns and advocacies.

Balila, in a statement, said students should not be forced to shoulder the burden of paying higher school fees especially as they continue to reel from the effects of the economic and health crisis.

Balila said a total of 11 schools applied for tuition fee increases. However, five petitions were withdrawn while three other petitions incurred deficiencies like late submission and technical errors.

The remaining three petitions were approved and have been transferred to the Commission En Banc for final approval.

However, Balila said that the names of these schools are yet to be confirmed.

Meanwhile, NUSP also criticized the government’s insufficient health measures to guarantee the safety and welfare of participating students in limited face-to-face classes, especially as CHEd and the Department of Education’s version of balik eskwela is highly vaccine-centered.

“The persistence of the Duterte administration to have a vaccine-centered balik-eskwela is discriminatory and runs the risk of circling back to prolonged school closures. It deprives other students of learning opportunities afforded in onsite classes.”

“We reiterate that there must be regular COVID-19 testing, special vaccination for education stakeholders, retrofitting of facilities, and mass hiring of school nurses so as to protect students’ health and safety joining limited face-to-face classes and allow for more schools to reopen,” Balila said.

Balila further mentioned that NUSP-Cebu strongly supports the Safe School Reopening Bill filed by Kabataan Partylist in Congress.

The said bill seeks to cover costs for COVID-19 testing, capacitating health and sanitation facilities in schools, and logistical support for students in high-risk areas and teachers and non-teaching staff like gadget and internet allowances, among other relevant provisions. — KQD (FREEMAN)