We, the Iskolar ng Bayan, strongly oppose the proposed tuition and other fee increases in the University of the Philippines as it is a grave and direct attack to our basic right to education and a clear manifestation of the government’s severe neglect of its responsibility to provide for education.
The proposed tuition increase (UP Diliman, Manila and Los Banos: from P300 to P1,000 per unit, UP Visayas, Mindanao and Baguio: from P200 to P600) and the accompanying increase in miscellaneaous fees (Diliman: P615 to P2000, Los Baños: P515 to P2000, Manila P565 to 950, Baguio P595 to P1405, Visayas P595 to P1405, Mindanao P830 to P1640 ) intensifies to a grand extent the commercialization of UP education and poses a grave attack to our right to education. It also defeats our struggle for greater state subsidy for education as it pushes UP to generate its own income rather than.assert the state’s responsibility to fund UP.
Tuition increase will further render UP education inaccessible. The worsening economic situation indicates the wide insufficiency of minimum wage to even sustain the basic needs of the family as show by the P 654.96 national average daily cost of living for a family of six as of January 2006 and the P325 daily minimum wage in Metro Manila. Based on this cost of living 8 out of 10 families or roughly 83% of Filipino families are considered poor, while using the international poverty measurement which count those living under $ 2 a day as poor, indicates that over 87% of the country's families are poor. With such conditions, an increase in tuition would be a social injustice and woluld further entrench the people to poverty.
The proposal defeats our fight for higher state subsidy. By generating income from students, the burden of providing education is shifted from the state to the students and their families. Such commercialization of education will consequently push the government to continuously slash budget allocations for the university and on the long term abandon its responsibility to subsidize education in accordance with its policies on education.
The proposal in principle and in practice overtly alters the very nature of UP as a state university of and for the people. The proposal clearly derives from the principle that students themselves – rather than the general taxpayer – should pay for the cost of higher education regardless of state budgetary constraints since virtually all the benefits of an undergraduate education are appropriable to the private individual himself. This undoubtedly departs from the principle of a state university which must first and foremost promote and protect the right to education by asserting the government’s responsibility to subsidize the university and a university which inculcates the spirit of valuing social over individual interest.
The proposed tuition increase (UP Diliman, Manila and Los Banos: from P300 to P1,000 per unit, UP Visayas, Mindanao and Baguio: from P200 to P600) and the accompanying increase in miscellaneaous fees (Diliman: P615 to P2000, Los Baños: P515 to P2000, Manila P565 to 950, Baguio P595 to P1405, Visayas P595 to P1405, Mindanao P830 to P1640 ) intensifies to a grand extent the commercialization of UP education and poses a grave attack to our right to education. It also defeats our struggle for greater state subsidy for education as it pushes UP to generate its own income rather than.assert the state’s responsibility to fund UP.
Tuition increase will further render UP education inaccessible. The worsening economic situation indicates the wide insufficiency of minimum wage to even sustain the basic needs of the family as show by the P 654.96 national average daily cost of living for a family of six as of January 2006 and the P325 daily minimum wage in Metro Manila. Based on this cost of living 8 out of 10 families or roughly 83% of Filipino families are considered poor, while using the international poverty measurement which count those living under $ 2 a day as poor, indicates that over 87% of the country's families are poor. With such conditions, an increase in tuition would be a social injustice and woluld further entrench the people to poverty.
The proposal defeats our fight for higher state subsidy. By generating income from students, the burden of providing education is shifted from the state to the students and their families. Such commercialization of education will consequently push the government to continuously slash budget allocations for the university and on the long term abandon its responsibility to subsidize education in accordance with its policies on education.
The proposal in principle and in practice overtly alters the very nature of UP as a state university of and for the people. The proposal clearly derives from the principle that students themselves – rather than the general taxpayer – should pay for the cost of higher education regardless of state budgetary constraints since virtually all the benefits of an undergraduate education are appropriable to the private individual himself. This undoubtedly departs from the principle of a state university which must first and foremost promote and protect the right to education by asserting the government’s responsibility to subsidize the university and a university which inculcates the spirit of valuing social over individual interest.
The fight against the imminent tuition increase is a fight for our right to education and against the commercialization of UP education. Such struggle requires from among our ranks the highest unity in will and action. Only through our collective and militant assertion can we triumph against the proposed tuition increase ad uphold our basic right to education.
Oppose tuition and other fee increases!
No to commercialization of UP education!
Fight for greater state subsidy!
Uphold our right to Education!
U M A K S Y O N
Ugnayang Multi-sektoral Laban sa
Komersyalisasyon ng Edukasyon
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