EDITORIAL - Higher tuition

State colleges and universities froze tuition for the coming school year, but the rates are up in 354 private institutions of higher learning and around 900 elementary and high schools. The Commission on Higher Education said the average increase of P38 per unit per semester in the tertiary level, or less than P800 for a typical load of 21 units, is the lowest tuition hike in recent years. Miscellaneous and other school fees, however, are also going up.

Perhaps the suicide of Kristel Tejada, after her ID card was recalled and she was barred from attending classes at the University of the Philippines-Manila for failure to pay her tuition, inspired the tuition freeze in state colleges and universities. Tuition and other fees in private learning institutions, on the other hand, are regularly adjusted. This school year is no different.

Like any business, private schools must turn a profit. Providing quality education is not possible on a shoestring budget. Air conditioning, computers and other mechanical aids for education, well-stocked libraries, laboratories, sports and recreational facilities need substantial funding. Small classes are ideal but students must then pay more. Qualified teachers need decent compensation and reasonable workloads or they might just find better-paying jobs overseas.

School operators, on the other hand, have an obligation to make tuition increases worth it. With many Filipinos believing in the value of education, colleges, universities and institutions offering special courses have sprouted, with a number of them failing to deliver value for money. Several schools have gained notoriety for the low number of graduates passing licensure examinations.

Demand overseas for Filipino nurses dropped following an exam and accreditation scandal. Similar scandals have rocked medical schools in the recent past. The country is still on a watchlist of the European Union for failure to meet international standards on the training and accreditation of officers for commercial ships. When erring schools are shut down, politicians intervene to have them reopened, even if it means devaluing the qualifications of Filipinos for overseas employment.

The government recognizes that private institutions of higher learning must be financially sound, which is why applications for tuition increases are typically approved. In any tuition increase, however, students must get what they pay for. The quality of education must be commensurate with the cost.