Save Our Students

Student demonstrations calling for political and economic reforms on various campuses these past weeks divert attention from a graver problem in our higher education: Students are dropping out in thousands because of the economic crisis. Most cannot afford to pay the rising tuition fees, and there are those unable to their living expenses, which are also soaring. Some enterprising students have taken part-time jobs to finance their education, but with the job market nationwide shrinking in the current recession, they are the exceptions to the rule.

The sad trend toward more dropouts is found in almost all colleges, even in state-run universities where the tuition fees are heavily subsidized by the government. Several colleges granted some leeway, allowing students to take classes while working to earn money. But they will be barred from sitting the upcoming semester exams unless they come good on payment of fees.

Campus life is not immune to the economic crisis. While most state and private universities are managed as not-for-profit organizations, they still have to raise money to pay for themselves. With the cost of living going up, these colleges logically have to raise their fees to stay afloat. Most students have accepted this reasoning. On-campus demonstrations rarely target increases in tuition fees. Instead, they demand lower prices all round, particularly of food, and the need for reforms. Nobody can accuse students of being narrow-minded and self- serving.

What we find illogical about this whole situation is the government's almost total indifference. Granted, the government is preoccupied with other pressing problems in this time of crisis. But the high rate of student dropouts, if allowed to continue unchecked, will exert a heavy toll on the country's quality of human resources. With quality essential in this increasingly competitive world, such indifference could cause irreparable damage to the nation's future.

Our nation is already said to be among the least competitive in the region. More than 70 percent of our workforce of nearly 90 million people has only a primary education background. To its credit, the government has already worked hard to rectify this condition, through building schools and by launching compulsory schooling for children between six and 15 years. But this is not enough. To be competitive, the nation also needs a pool of college graduates to lead it into the next millennium.

In higher education, the government has encouraged the establishment of colleges by private organizations to supplement the government-run universities. Last month, it even opened up this education sector to foreign colleges to inject a dose of competition. But what good will this do if only a few people can afford to buy the privilege?

This brings us to our next point, student loans. In the education deregulation package announced last month, the government promised to revive the student loans scheme. All this time, the government has held the perfect answer, but it has sat on it while students were forced to say goodbye to their educations in droves.

Student loans, at government-subsidized interest rates, should be made available to those who have the intellectual capacity to go to the college and are willing to take the risk. Higher education comes at a price. It is a privilege to those who have the means to pay, but, more importantly, it is a privilege to those who think they have the potential.

The student loan scheme has worked effectively in many countries, including the United States and Australia, and there is no reason why it should not work here. All it takes is the political will, and a realization that saving our students now could also mean saving our souls in the long run.