Youth activists hit Palace for tuition hike

A militant youth group on Monday scored the national government's approval of the hike in tuition and other fees  in both basic and tertiary schools in more than 1,000 learning institutions.

 

Meanwhile, Members of Anakbayan-National Capital Region trooped to Don Chino Roces bridge (formerly Mendiola Bridge) to condemn what they call "the state-sponsored commercialization of education."

 

"This is the gate of hell for all the Filipino youths whose dreams will be burned to ashes because we are being deprived of our right to education," Anakbayan-NCR deputy secretary general Andrew Zarate said. 

 

"Every school gate will be like hell because of the high-priced education and rising cost of living parallel to massive unemployment and low wage," he added. 

 

He said militant youth members will conduct today series of mobilizations to signify the youths’ outrage against the worsening education crisis staged at several government institutions, including the Department of Education, Commission on Higher Education and Malacañang.

 

A total of 354 private tertiary schools out of 451 applicants and 241 private elementary and high schools out of 1,144 applicants hiked fees.

 

"Though there is a 70-20-10 increment system which will go to salary of teachers, improvement of facilities and return-of-investment respectively, the government has no will nor does it have the resources to check whether the increment system is being implemented," Zarate said.

 

He said that with the implementation of DepEd's K+12 program,  the number of students who will be able to enter college  will be reduced"because they will be honed early as semi-skilled workers."

 

"It will be another scheme for the state abandonment on education while the number of state universities and colleges will decline along with the government spending," he added.