Science students, engineers protest move to socialize SUC tuition

A group of Science students and engineers went to the Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) on Tuesday to protest the memorandum that seeks to socialize tuition in state universities and colleges.

Members of Agham Youth called for the junking of Joint Memorandum Circular (JMC) No. 2017-1 CHED that is jointly signed with the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), which will not provide free tuition for every student.

Agham Youth UP Diliman secretary general EJ Cabrera said JMC 2017-1 will provide free tuition for all students since its mechanism prioritizes students who will be ranked according to their economic stature.

“We see no reason in installing such prioritization and selection mechanisms given that the allocated amount is more than enough to cover the tuition of ALL existing SUC students, with enough room for new enrollees,” Cabrera said.

The group said JMC 2017-1 is similar to the Socialized Tuition System (STS) of the University of the Philippines, which Cabrera said failed to provide accessible education for the poor.

"We are against STS due to the fact that it commercialized education even though it is a right regardless of social status," Cabrera said in a text message to GMA News Online.

“As a right, education should be made available to each and every student but under the JMC 2017-1, some students will be systematically barred access to free tuition, similar to UP’s failed Socialized Tuition System,” he added.

According to the study conducted by Agham Youth, the P8 billion fund allotted by Congress for all 114 SUCs is enough to cover the tuition of all its students in the next academic year.

It cited data from the DBM which projects that tuition collection for all SUCs would only reach P7.79 billion due to the decrease in enrollees caused by the K-12 program.

The group dissolved a copy of JMC 2017-1 using laboratory chemicals as a form of protest.

“As science students, we see a genuine free education policy as integral to the development of a robust science and technology sector in the country,” Cabrera said.

Cabrera said CHED furnished them a copy of the revised implementing rules and regulation on JMC 2017-1 following their protest.

He said the group will first study the new Implementing Rules and Regulations and plan a dialogue with CHED as soon as possible. — BAP, GMA News