Filipino students seek increased spending for education

Should the Aquino administration continue to refuse an outlay of at least six percent of the gross domestic product (GDP) to education based on the recommendation of the United Nations, students will continue to march in the streets.

As of 2007, the country’s GDP stood at $300 billion— so, an allocation of $18 billion (or P900 billion based on a P50/US dollar exchange rate) for that year conforms to such a standard.

However, government insists on adding two more years to basic education through its K to 12 program— despite admissions of failure to address the present educational problems such as bad conditions of present classrooms and shortage of classroom and teaching personnel.

During the National Day of Protests for Education last July 19, high school students across Metro Manila staged symbolic actions condemning Aquino’s budget cuts and inability to solve basic education shortages and join the fight for greater state subsidy to education.

Led by students at Ramon Magsaysay Cubao High School, Culiat High School and Quirino High School, the students demanded the junking of the K to 12 programs and instead focus on solving the education budget crisis immediately.

Students of Ramon Magsaysay Cubao High School, with the support of their Principal Dr. Josefina Perlado, staged a human installation forming the word “BUDGET” with an upward arrow beside it to symbolize the united call for higher state subsidy to education.

“We are calling on the Aquino government to solve the shortages in basic education immediately and prioritize education in the national budget.” said Dexter Lopez, an officer of the Ramon Magsaysay Cubao High School Supreme Student Government.

Lopez claimed that they will stage bigger rallies should the government ignore their request which is legitimate because it is within the UN recommendations to assure the quality of education. He said that a 100% increase in the education budget can make a real effect in the sad state of public education in the country.

He added that the students of Ramon Magsaysay Cubao High School, like many other high school and elementary students, directly experience the effect of problems in education such classroom and teachers shortages, overcrowding and textbooks shortages.

“A lot of students cut classes because they can’t learn in the classrooms in the first place. This kind of condition fails to motivate the youth to study hard and instead makes going to school a hard cycle for us, even excruciating for some.” Lopez said.

“This is our state: we have no classrooms, 7.93 million youth are out of school, and our parents are unemployed. We refuse to grow up in a society like this, that’s why high school students now choose to stand up and speak out. See you at the People’s SONA!” Robert Amparo, spokesman of the League of Filipino Students-High School said.

“The P207.4 education budget for education this year of the Aquino administration leaves little room to resolve shortages such as classrooms, teachers, textbooks and other educational materials despite Aquino’s promise to prioritize education, these remain empty words.”

BY SAMMY MARTIN