From expensive tuition fees to the struggle for basic necessities, students and their families are pushed to the brink. We cannot deny that education has embraced a neoliberal approach in which rights and social services have been curtailed, turning education into a business, and leaving the majority without access.
Recently, the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) officially confirmed the discontinuation of Senior High School (SHS) programs in state universities and colleges (SUCs), and local universities and colleges (LUCs) throughout the country.
CHED Chairman J. Prospero E. de Vera III stated that this memorandum is in accordance with the previous CHED Memorandum Order (CMO) Nos. 32 and 33, Series of 2015 and 2016, respectively. These previous CMOs mandated the SUCs' and LUCs' participation in the full implementation of the SHS program only from S.Y. 2016-2017 to S.Y. 2020-2021 to address the transition period.
However, from the lens of the underprivileged and marginalized, this line of action is nothing but a lucrative business to the few and an uphill battle for those in need. The glaring elitism undermines the affordability of education and will compromise more than 17,000 senior high school students who are about to be displaced.
The current educational status quo, particularly in terms of facilities and functional programs, or the lack thereof, will impede a conducive and appropriate learning environment.
Meanwhile, the current administration has made multiple statements emphasizing the importance of education, science, and technology development in resolving agricultural and socioeconomic challenges. However, those statements remain words for their realization is still not happening.
This reveals government officials' negligence towards the education sector as evidenced by a lack of proper education spending and the government's general mis-prioritization in the 2024 budget. According to the 2024 National Expenditure Program (NEP), there's a 6% budget cut (from ₱107 billion to ₱101 billion) for SUCs, a 3.9% decrease (₱30.9 billion to ₱29 billion).
Considering the government's sheer incompetence, education is now in dire condition. The giant business personalities have successfully ventured into education and how despotic CHED is for being too unwilling to act upon the capitalization of education in the country that students will be left with a thirst for inclusive education.
The Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) asserted that the government should first provide "adequate support" to the education sector, including a higher education budget that includes the construction of sufficient classrooms and facilities, the provision of adequate learning equipment and materials, and the hiring of an adequate number of teachers and education support personnel.
In addition, the Teacher's Dignity Coalition (TDC) and the Samahan ng Progresibong Kabataan (SPARK) issued a joint statement urging national education agencies to extend the K-12 curriculum transition period to account for resources and advocating the government to ensure that all public and private institutions can absorb all affected learners without congesting schools.
Repressive measures, such as CHED's decision to discontinue the SHS program despite widespread resistance, perpetuate the cycle of advancing the class interests of the elite by directly attacking a crucial sector of society—the youth and student sectors. Every Filipino youth desires a high-quality, easily accessible education. No student should have to beg just to have access to education. This commercialization simply turns education into a luxury, producing subservient students who will perpetuate the same rotten education system.
So, as long as we do not hold the government accountable for better education that meets our needs, education will stay elusive to us. Inclusive education is more than a privilege; it is a fundamental right that allows Filipino students, regardless of their socioeconomic situation, to fulfill their full potential. It is disheartening that there are so many great people whose dreams are stifled by circumstances beyond their control.
The education system was already difficult before the pandemic and it calls for the government to step up its efforts and provide not only essential equipment and resources for students but also a systemic approach to learning. We should ask the administration to allocate more funds, even if it means reconsidering the budget for projects that aren't improving the country's current crisis.
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