Probing the perennial imposition of tuition increase in National Teachers College

In April 2018, the then Infantado-Ylagan administration of the National Teachers College (NTC) turned over the school rights to the Ayala Corporation’s AC Education, in which the latter aimed to transform student lives through affordable quality education.

However, with regard to the incessant tuition increase in NTC, the new administration’s vision statement is deemed with obvious suspicion.

In fact, the NTC administration is set to conduct a tuition increase consultation along with student leaders and concerned faculty staff on February 26.

If approved, this will be the fourth consecutive imposition of tuition increase in the school since 2017.

 

Analysis on the cost of annual increase

The consultation meeting last 2019 discussed a 3.1% tuition hike for the undergraduate programs of the college amounting P471 (for COE, CAB, and CAS) and P519 (for CHM and CIT) per semester.

Since 2017, 12% or P51 was increased on COEd’s tuition fee, amounting a P471 per unit charge against P420 in 2016.

The NTC administration claimed that only a 3% increase was imposed for miscellaneous fees.

 

 

Furthermore, the administration also claimed that excluding the institutional development fee and energy fee, the construction of misc. fees would decrease by 10%.

 

 

The institutional development fee was said to be allocated for the school development.

Meanwhile, upon investigating the charges on the miscellaneous fees, the actual increase was 6%, as opposed to the 3% claim.

 

It is important to note that there was no breakdown of miscellaneous fees on the said form.

 

 

Note that the miscellaneous fees surged to P3,425 from P3,063, or an equivalent of P362 (11.8%) increase.

 

 

The miscellaneous fees increased, again, to P4,572 from P3,425 charge last academic semester.

However, the supposed P3,705 was contradicting the actual miscellaneous fees issued on the registration forms in documents 1 and 2 with P3,063 and P3,425 respectively.

Apparently, the administration used the 2^nd semester of AY 2018-2019 as basis for the P3,705 assertions emphasizing that the miscellaneous fees also included the ID and insurance fees.

 Sample computation
                                   ID fee (former cost)- P250
Insurance fee- P30
2^nd semester of AY 2018-2019 miscellaneous fees- P3,425
 TOTAL: P3,705

However, the ID fee was only charged every 1^st semester. Furthermore, note that the energy fee was part of the miscellaneous fees of AY 2018-2019; while on Table 3, it was shown that the energy fee was excluded. Clearly, the analysis on Table 2 was miscalculated and inaccurate.

Evidently, the miscellaneous fees for both AY 2018-2019 and AY 2019-2020 when energy and institutional development fees were removed and insurance fee was inserted, the actual charge were P 2,905 and P3,072 respectively. Thus, a 6% increase was made.

 

Deregulation of education, redundant and suspicious fees

As stipulated in Section 42 of the Education Act of 1982, private higher education institutions (PHEIs) may allow tuition increase implementation “subject to rules and regulations promulgated.”

The law allowed the ‘deregulation’ of education in the country, where government is effectively immobilized to stop tuition increases.

This has also led to the criticism that the Comission on Higher Education, that has jurisdiction over PHEIs has served merely as a ‘rubber stamp’ in the tuition increase applications of the tertiary education private schools.

Another criticism to the law is that of the student consultations being mere venues to announce the tuition increases as the tuition increase are still imposed even if the students expressed opposition to the increases. There are also consultations held only with a select body of students and not a general assembly or public consultation. Some student bodies have also protested how their attendance to these consultations, even if they opposed to the tuition increase, are passed off as “assent” or “approval.” Hence, the students either marked these consultations as mere showcases, “moro-moro” or “fake consultations.”

The law also stipulated of the tuition increase shall vest 70% for employees’ salaries and benefits, 20% for facilities improvement, and 10% for profit.

Moreover, section 5 of Article III in CHEd Memorandum Order 3 series of 2012 allows PHEIs to introduce new fees provided that consultations will be conducted along with the stakeholders on the February preceding the academic year with the proposed tuition increase

However, the consultation meeting last 2019 was made only to enforce tuition hikes coupled with the questionable, redundant, and suspicious fees.

For example, NTC charges college students P1,500 this academic year for institutional development fee (IDF). IDF is said to be allocated on capital expenditures. Meanwhile, student leaders argued that 20% of the annual tuition hikes are already vested for school and facilities development.

In a study investigated by Fiat Lux, across all levels excluding the senior high school, the publication discovered that the IDF accumulated PhP 19 million this 1^st semester of AY 2019-2020.

Furthermore, college students also complained on the imposed P37.50 charge for test paper fee (TPF) citing that it was “overpriced for a test paper” with an estimated budget ranging from PhP 3.9 to PhP 4.3 million.

In addition, student development and student activities fees were among the miscellaneous fees said to be redundant and questionable.

In an interview with NTC-SG Vice President Jerwin Oregas, he pointed how ambiguous the other school fees paid by the students most specifically the previous mentioned fees.

“Sa unang tingin, ang other school fees ay mayroong mga hindi malinaw na detalye. Isa ito ‘yong laging nababanggit ng mga NTCians kapag nabubuksan ang mga usapin tungkol sa tuition fee and other school fees. Tulad na lamang ng student activities at student developmental fees kung saan hindi natin alam o nakapagtataka kung bakit may ganitong fees lalo na’t hindi naman ito naipaliliwanag at kung saan direktang napupunta ‘yong mga binabayad dito.”

 

Students’ pulse against tuition increase

Students of NTC expressed their utmost dissent with regard to the impending tuition increase for the next academic year. Lack of transparency, inept professors, poor quality of school facilities, and defective equipment despite being under renovation were some of the reasons provided by the students.

In the NTC administration’s stratagems, dubbed as Three Phase Development Plan, it included plans for teachers to boost their competencies while promoting 21^st century learning advancements. Though teacher evaluation scheme is implemented, students complained on the same burden of having inefficient professors.

“Hindi ko masasabi na effective or nag-improve ‘yong pag-hire nila (school) ng efficient na teacher kasi ‘yong evaluation eh hindi effective or useful para makita ng admin na may mga gano’ng teachers.” stressed by a Social Studies major student.

The student also detailed in particular of the situation when the teacher poorly used the instructional materials.

“Lagay lang ng powerpoint, tapos projector. Babasahin ng professor; minsan, hindi niya binabasa at pinapa-picture-an nalang sa mga estudyante. And then, ayun, end of class.”

On the other hand, also earlier this month, the Sports Studio was soaked in rainwater causing interruption to students who are using the said facility. Student witnesses narrated that the leakage came first from an outlet to a sudden outflow which left an opening hole. According to Engr. Rolando Arcega, Head of Security and Facility Department, the material used was not appropriate for a facility like the Sports Studio.

“Kung masipa lang ‘yan eh butas na agad ‘yan,” he added.

 

 

Meanwhile, an English major student, who is supported by her husband working abroad, questioned the charged library services fee though the school libraries are not even available for students to use.

“Last sem (AY 2018-2019) may bayad ang library pero never naming nagamit; tapos this sem (ay) nagbayad ulit pero wala pa ring library. Kaya nga lumalabas na lang kami.”

Likewise, a Filipino major student said that he might stop the following academic year for his sister is also supporting another child.

“Mahihirapan ‘yong ate ko sa pagbayad ng tuition ko kung sakaling magtaas ito. Kasi katulad nung 1^st sem madami akong balance dahil sa hirap kami magbayad, so kung magtaas man ng tuition eh hindi ko alam kung paano ko sasabihin kay ate.”

 

Call for action

NTC-SG Vice President Jerwin Oregas urged students to be vigilant and be critical to combat the tuition hikes.

“Hindi magiging tahimik ang pamahalaang pangmag-aaral sa pagtalakay at paghimay sa bawat parte ng tuition increase,” Oregas asserted.

The NTC-SG, along with school’s clubs and organizations coalition, will collectively battle for transparency and advocate for accessible education in the upcoming tuition increase consultation with NTC administration and faculty.

“Kailangan nating mausisa at malinawan sa mga isyung malabo tulad na lamang sa student activities fee, IDF, at sa iba pang miscellaneous fees,” Oregas added.

NTC President Jhon Wilfred Leonor seconded, “Gaya ng naibahagi ko noong miting de avance, maraming NTCian ang umaasa lamang sa scholarship. Kinakailangan talagang imulat ang mga estudyante tungkol sa tuition increase lalo na sa mga diskusyon kung saan nailalagak ang mga ibinabayad nila.”

Meanwhile, National Union of Students of the Philippines (NUSP) National President Raoul Abellar Manuel strongly denounced the annual tuition fee increase which have worsened under the Duterte administration.

“It will add a greater burden to students and families who are already suffering from high prices, lack of jobs, contractualization and even the recent calamities that hit our country.” Manuel continued.

NUSP is working with student councils and leaders across the country upon launching a national campaign which aims to block the impeding tuition hikes.