The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) will shift its focus to making education not only free, but also accessible to underprivileged Filipinos, while also advocating for world-class standards next year.

CHED Chairperson Prospero De Vera shared the good news that admissions to public universities have increased, as has the percentage of students studying, in an interview with PTV’s “Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon” on Wednesday, Dec. 27.

In 2023, however, approximately two million students attend more than 200 public universities without paying tuition or other fees.

The bad news, according to De Vera, is that because there are so many people who want to go to university, those from low-income families are being squeezed out.

He said that CHED understands that underprivileged students may face difficulties in standardized admission tests.

The chairperson emphasized the urgency of "equity in education," which means that CHED will actively seek out university programs that will increase admissions and graduation rates for students from low-income families, indigenous communities, and underserved areas.

De Vera emphasized that CHED needs to concentrate on "inclusive education," which calls for a review of admissions practices at all public universities.

"We will ensure that all degree programs in universities are world-class or up to the standards, requiring all of them to have a certificate of program compliance, qualified faculty, good curriculum necessary facilities," he said.

The chairperson also highlighted that the "Equity Inclusive Education" banner will guide CHED's mission in 2024.

Beyond access, quality remains a priority

De Vera emphasized that President Marcos has directed the CHED to expedite commitment implementation because it has promised the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) that all 83 universities and colleges will be inspected again to ensure proper compliance.

He added that the President also suggested that the agency complete the process in two years rather than three.

According to De Vera, CHED will increase compliance with EMSA standards and provide assessment tests for students entering maritime programs to ensure qualified graduates for the industry.

Furthermore, he said that CHED plans to open four to five additional medical schools, increasing the number of universities where students can study for free and the number of those who will graduate from underprivileged areas.

"So in 2024, we will continue to increase the number of public universities offering medical program contracts with private schools with medical programs so that scholarships can also be given to private schools," he said.

Moreover, the CHED chief said they would focus on providing a review class to those working in underboard hospitals; these are those who have completed nursing hospital training but have not yet passed the licensure exam.

"The department is mobilizing the top nursing schools to partner with the hospitals to provide a quality review program," De Vera said.

Given this, CHED aims to improve its chances of success in the first quarter of 2024, targeting the first batch to take the nursing exams in November.

The same goes for CHED's new skills-oriented programs.

He said they are pushing together on the aircraft and will focus on animation in 2024.

"We connect the great Philippine schools with the top universities in the world to produce world-class animators," he added.

Furthermore, addressing a long-standing issue, he said the agency would review teacher education programs and, if necessary, they would start funding sub-standard programs to address the issue of low passing rates among teacher education graduates.

"We will close down funding sub-standard programs in teacher education because this issue has been raised for several years now, and action is needed," De Vera said.