THE NATIONAL Union of Students of the Philippines (NUSP) opposes
the proposal to move the opening of classes on September saying there
is no compelling reason for the change right now.
"We stand behind the announcement of Health Secretary Dayrit
that the threat of SARS has already been contained in the country.
There is now no urgent reason why we should postpone the opening of
classes," said NUSP national president Raymond Palatino.
Palatino noted that preparations for the schoolyear opening are already
taking place around the country. "Teachers, parents and most
especially students are already geared towards the resumption of classes
next month. Thanks to the SARS scare, the people were induced to take
the necessary steps to ensure a healthy and clean living," Palatino
added.
However, the student leader warned of possible lack of medical staff
in schools to appease the public about the readiness of schools to
respond to probable SARS-related symptoms once classes start on June.
"We have an obvious shortage of competent medical personnel to
man our schools. Even the tapping of Barangay health workers will
not be enough since their duties alone in supervising the whole community
already consumes most of their time.," remarked Palatino.
To fill-up the shortage, the NUSP is calling the Commission of Higher
Education to tap the country's oversupply of nursing and health graduates
and orient them to work in schools instead of encouraging them to
find work abroad.
Palatino also cautioned lawmakers and President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
for their imprudent proposal to move the opening of classes on September.
He described the proposal as "insensitive and ignorant to the
peculiar conditions of the country."
"June is the opening of classes in the Philippines not because
of some flimsy desire to have summer vacations but the agricultural
economy prevailing in the country warrants the tapping of the youth
to help in harvest season during summer. This may not be obvious to
our leaders but it is during summer and harvest time that Filipino
families earn much needed income to pay for the tuition of their children,"
Palatino said.
"If we will move the opening of classes on September, Filipinos,
especially farmers will find it difficult to raise the money needed
for schooling since their income has been spent during the rainy season
preceding September."
Palatino challenged the President and lawmakers to abate the annual
tuition increases and increase the subsidy for state universities
if they really want to move classes on September.
The NUSP also does not find the reason of the government "to
spare the children from flooding during the rainy season" as
a credible argument to change the school calendar saying that heavy
rains and natural calamities also occur during and after September.
"Let us not surrender to the problem of flooding. Solve the problem.
Solve the flooding so that classes will not be suspended during heavy
rains," demanded Palatino to government officials.
The student group is suspecting that there could be a more sinister
reason why the President made a sudden pronouncement about changing
the school calendar. They believe it is less of a concern for flooding
than conforming the educational strucutre to the school system abroad
in view of the coming influx of foreign schools in the country after
the signing of the General Agreement on Trade and Services which mandates
the standardization of rules and patterns of schools of member-countries.
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