An average Filipino student loses P6,600 per year or a total of P1.9 trillion due to school closures amid the ongoing global health crisis, according to a study conducted by the National Union of Students of the Philippines (NUSP).
As of March, 312 out of 1,950 higher education institutions (HEI) have resumed to limited in-person classes, while 6,122 out of 60,000 basic education institutions have opened.
"Sa face-to-face learning ngayon, ang inaabot na mawawalan at sa duration ng closure sa Pilipinas na umabot approximately nang two years, ay nawawalan ng estudyante ng P6,600 na earning per year dahil sa pagsasara ng mga paaralan (In today's limited face-to-face learning, an average student is losing approximately P6,000 of their earning per year due to school closures)," NUSP National President Jandeil Roperos said Monday, March 21, during a virtual forum.
Meanwhile, Roperos said 56 percent of 1,207 parents spend P900 per month for distance learning.
The similar study also found that private universities "seem to be geared towards hiking fees" in preparation for face-to-face classes, while public universities are "still wrestling with financial constraints."
Roperos said the Department of Education has approved 654 out of 900 tuition and other fees increases (TOFI), while the Commission on Higher Education allowed 56 private HEIs to hike fees for the academic year 2021-2022.
"Dahil sa kakulangan sa budget dahil hindi priority yung education ngayon sa panahon ng pandemya at dahil sa patuloy na budget cut sa 2022 sa state universities and colleges (It's because of the budget shortfall because education is not a priority now during the pandemic because of the ongoing budget cuts in 2022 in state universities and colleges)" Roperos lamented.
"Ang budget ngayon sa edukasyon ay kulang, insufficient pa rin (Today's budget on education is not enough, still insufficient)," she added, noting that the total government expenditures on education in the country is at 3.8 percent, way below the 6 percent recommended expenditures of the United Nations.
CHED recently suspended freshmen applications for its scholarship program, citing "budget inadequacy."