Another year to make it 5 long years!

I am a product of a state university. I graduated my Bachelor's degree in 1999, and during that time, my family was still struggling financially. I still remember when my parents could only afford to send me to school with P300 weekly allowance, all IN, bus fare, food, school projects. My parents lived an hour's drive from Gensan, and the university campus is 30 minutes away from the city. Bus fare then was P30, jeep fares P5. I went home on weekends so I get a total gross of P200. How I managed that P200 is a question to me as well. I could eat, have snacks with friends, and still buy my precious cassette tape collections. I struggled with my four years in college. My parents struggled very much. We were 4, 2 were in college at the same university, 1 graduating in high school and 1 still a baby.

My four years were spent in serious studying. My schedule overflowed with school activities, organization meetings, and my gardening. 4 years and I thought it was too long and agonizing for my folks. I felt their struggle, I felt their pain every time they place their hands on their near-empty pockets.

I still remember my graduation in Mindanao State University (MSU), one does not know he is a graduate until he gets that slip of paper telling you you graduated. And that slip of paper can only be released after Baccalaureate Mass, usually the day prior to graduation. I can never forget that day when my Mom pinned me my Student Leadership Award medal, yet, i was unsure if I could ever go up the stage again the next day.

Hours after the pinning, my slip of paper came, and I immediately went to the city to phone my mom, tears in my eyes, telling them their firstborn is graduating. I know I made them proud. Their painstaking efforts were rewarded.

And why can't the government realize that? Four years is already long. How much more is another year in college? According to the news, they are starting off with Nursing, and later Education courses and then AB courses. Yes, as easy as AB courses can be covered within 3 years, the CHED has issued a statement informing universities of their plan to add another year in college.

According to them, this won't be an additional expense on the parts of the students because the additional year will be subtracted from the number of units they are currently getting. I say yes, this additional year, is additional BURDEN. The longer the length of time ads up, the more expenses they will incur. Who will be affected the most: PARENTS.

Why can't they just upgrade the quality of education and not the quantity of the years college will be spent. Another year is such a waste of the precious time when our students could be using that time to help earn for the family. I don't know about you but I think 4 years is long enough, except I guess for tough courses like Engineering, which is already 5 years, Accountancy and other BS degrees. But for Education and AB courses, oh noes! It is not practical. And they said it was mandatory, bah!

I don't know what their rationale is for doing this, but i think it is giving the parents another blow of headache. Just this morning, the cabinet has rejected this proposal by the PTFE, but they were unsure of what CHED has to say.

I don't know about you, but this is what I think.

Comments

AngelMD-No-More said…
haha so you're a first born too? i do agree with you sheng. I felt your concern too though I dont have kids yet, but I also witnessed how hard my parents worked to send all four of us to school. btw, u havent sent me your add yet that's why i couldnt send you the notepads...hehe
Lantaw said…
I don't think its really the number of years the matter, its more of the quality of teaching. Kapoy mag eskuwela LOL!
Anonymous said…
I, too, struggled in some way during college. That's another story anyway. Your parents must be prouder of you now. You're lucky to have very supportive parents and it's a good thing that they value education.
Anonymous said…
I'm an MSUan, too, pero high school. My batchmates are now all over the world :)

The Philippine school system is patterned after the American one but whereas they have Grade 7, we don't. We do 6 yrs elem + 4 yrs HS + 4 yrs college.

In Malaysia, they have 6 yrs primary + 4 yrs secondary + 2 yrs matriculation (pre-university) + 4 or 5 yrs university. The equation changes a bit when they go to Form 5 or take O-levels... or if they choose to take a Certificate or Diploma. I'm not that familiar with the system yet so I can't comment much. But the bottomline is: they spend more years in school than we do.

Perhaps what the govt can do is adopt changes so that courses like Medicine are internationally recognized and accepted. I've known excellent doctors who are products of UP Manila who have to take exams again etc just so they can practice in the US.

At the same time, taxpayers' money should be put to good use by increasing the budget for education!
Anonymous said…
I've read about that too. And I don't know why they don't understand that an additional year means another year of everyday baons and other expenses like house rent. Plus, that extra year could have been spent working already, contributing to the family in someway.
Most of the time, I don't know that those guys up there are doing. They choose to discuss matters like an extra school year when there aren't even enough schools, teachers, and books. Haaay naku! Pag ako naging Presidente, lagot silang lahat!
Sidney said…
You have a valid point. Why add years if it is not really necessary !
Anonymous said…
i am also a product of an SUC. i agree with everything you said. it is very hard. eh kami nga 3 in college sabay-sabay, all nursing! kawawa naman nga sila don domeng at mother goose. tama ka na dapat upgrade ang sistema kesa pahabain pa. abnormal talaga mga nakakaisip niyan. hai.
BAM! said…
yup. improving the quality of education should be prioritized. adding another year is a waste of time and money.
Anonymous said…
yes...the costs of the education will be spread...but another year will entail other costs such as baon, transpo, boarding. at ang mga school may miscellaneous fee, lab fee, at kung ano-ano pang fees every year! I have a batchmate who was able to finish our course in 3 years! what is the government playing at?

sino ba nagrecommend nito?
Reena said…
hi. i'm new here...

i'm BS architecture and my curriculum ran for 5 years. there was a time when CHED wanted to add another year sa curriculum namin! it's additional financial burden.

high quality education should start in primary and secondary years so that we only take major subjects in college. i don't understand why we still need to take up algebra, physics, english and other general electives again when we step in college.

i protest!
Anonymous said…
you and your family's struggle during college is inspiring. :)

but, yes, many people cannot afford another year of burden. hay. i think they are barking on the wrong tree. essentially, quality is more important than the quantity.
RedLan said…
May tama ka sheng. Mahirap at magastos sa allowances. ANg kanilang kapakapanan lang ang nakikita nila. Maraming problema ang gobyerno. Unang una ang corruption. Ba't di na lang yun ang tuonan nila ng pansin ang i-resolve in the first place.
Anonymous said…
Hrm, i don't know what it's like over there, but here you definitely need 3-4 years to deal with the science subjects. Even my apprenticeship (which was not university) took three years and I don't see how they could've condensed it much. I'm always wary when educational institutions try to condense the time spent on a subject. I always fear that they'll be cutting corners, just churning out graduates who are just not ready for the professional world.
ms firefly said…
for sure, i don't want to go back to school...just not for me anymore. :D

for most of the avarage filipino families, it would be a burden for yet another year. and then there are the underpaid teachers who have lost the motivation to teach, so another year in school would not serve its purpose i think.
Anonymous said…
I agree with YOU! Also, I find it hard to believe that it wouldn't cost less to stretch the classes out for another year. The professors will need more money to be paid for another year and there will need to be more books and materials for another year plus room and board. I don't know what they could be thinking.
Kayni said…
i still want to know what triggered the push for five years for AB, Education, and Nursing. to me, it is absurd. i am with you on the additional burden especially on parents. i'd prefer giving these four years quality education, and creating jobs for these graduates.
the added year would be a pain in the neck. instead adding a year, why dont just they focus on upgrading the quality of education by making sure that students are getting the best modules there are and by upgrading the teaching skills of the educators.

this would just demotivate students who are eager to graduate.
Eds said…
i also agree with you on this sheng. additional year is a big burden. mas marami ang hindi makakapagtapos ng pag-aaral.
Anonymous said…
i agree; ang mahal na ng tuition ngayon ha! i think the government should re-evaluate the quality of education kids are receiving these days instead of blindly adding on an additional year.
Anonymous said…
i agree.. even is the tuition is taken from the first 4 years, an additional year means additional expenses in transportation, food, allowance, uniform, etc.

QUALITY over quantity (of years) should be the focus of the national government.
Oman said…
i agree sheng. quality education and not quantity education is still the key.
mightydacz said…
im with u sheng,u bet!!!one more year is a waste of money and time.
princess_dyanie said…
ang sinasabi ng CHED ay dapat daw same ng standard sa US kaya daw gagawin na 5 yrs! hello??? eh baket kaya di nila ayusin ang facilities at modules nila para umayos ang kalidad ng edukasyon!

wala yan sa taon na ginugol sa paaralan!

pahirap yan sa mga magulang at sa mga nagpapaaral! tsk!
Anonymous said…
Guro Sheng kung remove lng nla ng mga pre-requisite balony o walang kwentang subjects;guro mas dali makapatapos. Problem man gud kay most university eh daming mga unnecessary subject na indi naman related sa course. 5 years in college is a burden gid.

They should reject this proposal. What they can propose eh yung mga college (university/school) dyan sa atin make sure na ang mga subjects at least related sa major nang mga student. Hay ambot nlang! Padugang sakit sang bulsa at ulo ng magulang.

Daw isipon pa lang 5 years in college- maayo pa mag associate nlang then work tapos pag may pera don mag padayon sang skul.

Wag sila sana mag gaya dito sa US!!

Anyway, regards to all.

Miss you,

allen
Garando said…
I totally agree, Sheng. This proposal should never see the light of day. It's ridiculous! Lalo na we're in the middle of a financial crisis, people are losing their jobs (Intel's factory just closed down recently letting go of hundreds!) they pull something crazy like that. sheesh... (rolling eyes)
Anonymous said…
i totally agree with you sheng! they should focus on the quality of education not the number of years! sobra naman na pagpapahirap pa yan! sometimes, depende na rin naman sa estudyante kung gusto niya matuto o hindi. kahit pa dagdagan ng taon, kung walang interes mag-aral, wala ring mangyayari sa add'l year na 'yan.!

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