Private first class we can't afford

As a reader and as a parent or student, you may not be very concerned about public education in the Philippines. You probably send your kids to private schools or have an education plan all ready and waiting, or simply paying through the teeth because you feel you have no choice.

But all of us should be worried, especially when you hear joint responsibility and privatization.

Privatization plans seem to be a popular word in the current administration. Someone wants to “privatize” the Philippine Post Office. Another one wants to “privatize” the Philippine Heart Center and the Kidney Center as a regional facility for commercial organ transplant.

And of course someone wants to privatize schools or increase “client participation” in the cost to educate. The truth of the matter is “privatization” is just another word for “Crony acquisition”. Somewhere down the line, someone wants their grubby little hands on service institutions we badly need so they can make money out of it. 

The “logic” behind privatization they say is to unburden the government with management and expenses by letting capitalists and experts run these businesses as long as they have a social component that gives back to the less privileged.

Well guess what, most companies don’t even give back one percent of their net profit to the poor or some socially redeeming cause. In fact as far as hospitals go, I am told that the social component or charity wards are paid for with money that has been computed to the bill of middle class and upper class patients in private wards.

Because I am no expert, I won’t use statistics, data, or arguments on the matter. I will simply call your attention to the fact that American students are already buried in debt even before they can professionally earn a living.

England experienced rioting and critical social unrest recently because the government decided to increase the student’s participation and cost of education. More and more students are dropping out, or scaling down their education simply because they can’t afford it.

In recent years, Filipino families have opted to send children to “short courses” that they believed had high employment possibilities such as nursing, physical therapy and the likes because of money problems.

In the end we produced a surplus of unemployable graduates. We dumb-downed or sent kids to courses they were not interested or inclined but “had to”, and now they hate it!

Without publicly funded State universities and colleges such as UP, many of the columnists, broadcasters and media people who fight for your rights would not be where they are. Shamcey Supsup would not be, and neither would the many leaders of this nation, past and present combined.

* * *

As a graduate of a State university, I give my full support, and hold in high esteem, the students, faculty members and employees of State universities and colleges who have protested against budget cuts or so-called acts of fiscal responsibility undertaken by politicians.

If anyone should be exercising “fiscal responsibility” it should be the officials and managers of State universities and not politicians doing it for them.

Budget Secretary Abad may have all the best intentions and may claim that State universities and colleges are actually getting more, but in the context of classroom shortage, poor facilities and the fact that many students in the provinces have to relocate, board, travel, etc., it is clear that even under the Aquino administration, education is not “the” priority as stated in the Cory Constitution.

To be fair to the new government, there are actual cases of graft and corruption where members of Congress or Governors have profited and benefitted financially from SUCs in their areas. But should we deprive students and their community of having an alternative and affordable education?

Shouldn’t Secretary Abad, the DOJ and the Ombudsman be going after the thieves who stole money from State universities and colleges instead?

Secretary Abad may be good at running a budget or counting pesos and cents, but from where I’m standing he needs to remember what President Noynoy said: “We have to make sure we have the right problem in order to come up with the right solution”.

Because of the budget cuts and realignment without appropriate consultation or discussions, Secretary Abad actually created more problems and discontent among students and officials who are already unhappy with their current state of affairs.

As far as State universities and Colleges are concerned, the problem of the Aquino administration is not money. Their problem is that they have the wrong priorities. We need to keep young people inside schools, learning how to be productive, responsible and able.

We don’t want young people on the streets, having to fight for what should be their right to a good quality education.

If leaders insist that State universities and colleges suffer budget cuts or be delisted from national priorities, may we ask the rich and powerful leaders of this country not to enroll their sons or daughters in State universities and colleges?

Can we ask them to post a family annual income that will serve to keep the “rich” people out? Let’s make entrance to SUCs socially fair by basing it on economic status and lottery and not based on entrance exams designed to give rich kids from private schools an unfair advantage.

* * *

[email protected]