Priority treatment of the disadvantaged is required by the free college education statute

PH | Priority treatment of the disadvantaged is required by the free college education statute | MANILA – According to a lawmaker on Friday, the free college education system in state universities and colleges should guarantee equity-based access, which can be enabled by giving the poor preference.

Rep. Paul Daza of Northern Samar’s 1st District responded to Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno’s suggestion to review the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Law (Republic Act 10931) to make sure that resources are “optimally allocated.”

According to Daza, the law is not the issue because it is essential to the goal of eradicating poverty.

He suggested that giving the poor special consideration would “cure” the underlying “discrimination” in SUC entrance exams, as students who attended private schools automatically performed better on entrance exams.

Making sure that individuals who legitimately qualify for free postsecondary education, especially the poorest, are receiving it is necessary, he said.

In his proposal, Diokno emphasised the need for K–12 curriculum focus, national screening tests to determine who will be eligible for free college education, a four-year voucher for those who passed with the option to choose between a public or private university, and a reduction in the number of the 117 SUCs currently operating in the nation through mergers to prevent “wastefulness” and “inefficiency.”

The Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Programme (4Ps) kids, indigenous groups, rebel returnees, and other underrepresented groups, according to Daza, should be given priority when establishing admittance requirements for SUCs.

“We can also include children who will be the first in the family to be able to get a college degree,” he remarked. “Let’s make sure the people who are eligible for spots in SUCs, including UP, are actually among the poorest. The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) is requested to confer with SUCs and Congress before issuing a document on this.

He also emphasised the multiplier effect of education, adding that estimations from a German study that were adjusted for domestic economic considerations indicate that for every PHP10 of public expenditure, the gross value added is projected to be PHP46.50.

He urged the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) and CHED to conduct independent studies on the benefits of free tertiary education.

There are always numerous ways to approach a problem, but Daza said that throwing out a crucial solution because some of its components weren’t up to grade was akin to saying we should toss the entire vehicle because the tyres were worn out.

The Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act must provide SUCs in the nation with equality and financial support, as CHED Chair J. Prospero de Vera III had emphasised.

According to him, a test for admission should only be equity-driven for all students wishing to enrol in higher education.

“The public universities need financial support because there was a significant shift in enrollment to public universities, especially during Covid,” he claimed.

The CHED’s records show that the participation rate in higher education climbed to 41%, up from 32 percent prior to the implementation of the free tertiary education programme.

De Vera cautioned that the quality of higher education could decline if the financial situation is not addressed. (via PNA)