UP and the SUCs: Anti-Poor???

[jpdm]

I hope this is remedied by the government....UP-the best university in the country, should serve both rich and poor, deserving and qualified students....

Manila Standard
August 2-3, 2008

UP failing to serve poor students, study says By Roderick T. dela Cruz


STATE colleges and universities led by the University of the Philippines are not serving poor students as they are mandated to do, according to a study commissioned by the Asian Development Bank.
“Philippine education is in a deep crisis and sees little hope of recovery unless drastic reforms beginning with higher education are immediately implemented,” the report says.
The report is part of the bank’s technical assistance to the Education Department, and it found “a disproportionately small number of poor students in the state universities and colleges,” or a mere 6.7 percent of the student population.
It says one reason is that poverty prevents poor students from properly preparing for a college education, and the result is that many of them flunk the entrance tests given by state colleges and universities.
“The poor are discriminated more seriously in the better quality prestigious state universities and colleges like the University of the Philippines Diliman, for they do not possess competitive college preparatory education,” the study says.
It says the high and persistent incidence of poverty and income inequality also leads to inequality in education, as the poor appear less able to compete with their richer counterparts in state universities and colleges that have restricted admission.
Basic education has its own problems, the report says, noting that student performance is only about 50 percent in the national achievement tests for elementary and high schools, and in the international mathematics and science tests for 13-year-old students.
At the college level, the passing rate in the various professional board examinations except for medicine is below 50 percent.
“There is also evidence that majority of schools at all levels operate inefficiently,” the study says.
Resources in the public school system are concentrated in personnel inputs—representing 90 percent of the total—while financial support for learning materials makes up just 1 percent.
And as a result of poor education and training in high school and even in college, many graduates end up without jobs.
“The unemployment rate among the high school and college educated has persisted over the last two decades at 9 percent or more,” the study says.
“This is the gridlock of Philippine education.”
The report partly traces the problem to the government’s education policy, particularly that relating to higher education.
“Much of the problem is rooted in finance, especially the financial management of state universities and colleges,” the study says.
“Revolutionary reforms in the state universities and colleges’ finance would be required for dismantling the gridlock.”

[A121]

UP and the other SUCs are not anti-poor. Basic education is the problem that should be addressed soon. Students should be equipped with the necessary tools to enter these colleges. These universities can not lower their standards to accommodate more students.

[jpdm]

Im quite curious as to how Asian Development Bank (ADB) arrived at this conclusion especially about UP Diliman not serving the poor...

[empy]

basically the ADB is saying that poor students dont get the higher quality high school and college prep education than wealthier students, so the deck is stacked against them when it comes to entrance exams.

but why then do they say that UP "discriminates against poor students"? they don't have any different standards!!!! :screwloose: it's the function of the student's family income that they can't get the pre-college education they need - so go lay the blame on socioeconomic inequality or the public school system or something.

what i think ADB really means is "UP should discriminate against wealthier students by creating a different admission standard for them and poorer students"

[empy]

dubul pust...!!

[nicolodeon]

poverty and intelligence dont mix.

if people are intelligent but poor, most of them symphatize with their own. maybe that's why we have a new UP now. they want to end the endless cycle of bright students turning activists/complainers.

nasasayang ba talino

I smell an old blue....

[uls]

rich kids get into UP coz they had better pre-school, elementary, and high school education than poor kids.

It's not UP's fault if the poor kids can't pass UP's entrance exams.

[fourtheboys96]

UP and the other SUCs are not anti-poor. Basic education is the problem that should be addressed soon. Students should be equipped with the necessary tools to enter these colleges. These universities can not lower their standards to accommodate more students.

very true especially for UP. if ur poor but is not up to academic standards, then sorry for you. but FYI, UP has alotted a certain percentage of slots for students in the provinces.

Im quite curious as to how Asian Development Bank (ADB) arrived at this conclusion especially about UP Diliman not serving the poor...

it's not ADB who made this conclusion. its the writer / news paper so that they can sell the story. i'm surprised the article is not from inquirer.

[Galactus]

^^^ It's not the writer/newspaper who made the conclusion. As stated clearly in the original article, the conclusion was arrived at by a study commissioned by the ADB, which doesn't necessarily bind the ADB to its findings. The reporter, (naturally) merely reported the findings, and did not make his own conclusion

Medyo hilaw yung report. The author/proponent of the study was not named, and hindi rin stated yung objective/s.

One of the goals of UP is to get the best and the brightest students, regardless of their social and economic standing. During my time, marami din akong naging classmate na sobrang talino, kahit laking probinsiya at may kahirapan sa buhay. Poverty should never be a hindrance. Accepting a student just because he's poor (eventhough academically deficient) is a form of reverse discrimination.

[Galactus]

Sowee, double post!