RICH STUDENTS SHOULD BE EXCLUDED FROM FREE EDUCATION – DEPED SECRETARY ANGARA

The government and State university administrators should refocus on free college education since the current system is “subsidizing the kids of the rich” pushing out deserving and underprivileged students from the program. 

Rich students should be excluded from the free college education program of the government to help more the deserving students (Photo courtesy of Philippine Star)

Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary Sonny Angara said that the implementation of free college tuition subsidies needs to be fix to prevent wealthy students and to give more help to deserving students.

Fixing the implementation of the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act or Republic Act No. 10931 was crucial as a “a lot” of resources might have gone to basic education have been spread thinly due to the free education law.

“A lot of the resources maybe that should have gone to basic education is being spread more thinly, so now even students in UP (University of the Philippines) are tuition free, but if you look at the students in UP, so many come from well-off families,” Angara said.

Angara noted that the government should refocus the free college education to be subsidized to "deserving" students. “In that way, there’s no crowding out effect, you don’t crowd out the one who really needs it.”

“Subsidize the ones who really need it and those who are rich. I mean, what’s P200,000 for a rich family? That’s not even worth one vacation for them,” he added.

The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) previously acknowledged how admission policies of state universities and colleges have been a problem for “quite some time.” These remain skewed in favor of children who come from privileged households, especially in sought-after institutions like UP and the Polytechnic University of the Philippines.

A P15-million worth of research was earlier launched by CHED to assess the admission system and retention of students in select state universities and colleges (SUCs) in the country and to address the issue of attrition rate and equity in higher education.

CHED Chairperson J. Prospero de Vera III previously said, “If we find out that the admission system disproportionately disadvantages certain sectors. The study will now direct universities about the options that they can take to improve their admission system. So more people from public schools, from rural areas, children of indigenous communities, children of rebel returnees will be able to get in.”

Source: Philippine News Agency

Be part of ImHenyo community!

Get featured by sharing your stories, news, and comments

Email us at [email protected]