Students gear up for SONA protest

News Release

July 21, 2007

Students gear up for SONA protest

Dismal state of education, more dropouts show real state of the nation

Thousands of students are expected to swarm Commonwealth Avenue Monday to hold their own State-of-the-Nation address, the National Union of Students of the Philippines (NUSP) said in a press conference today.

“Year after year, Mrs. Arroyo drowns herself and the people of fabricated achievements by bragging self-induced fairytales of improving conditions of governance and the economy. But the students have had enough of her promises, more so her lies” NUSP Secretary General Alvin Peters said.

Peters also disproved claims made by Arroyo of making education the legacy of her government, saying education remains one of the most neglected programs of this administration.

“How can this government make education its legacy if it continues to spend poorly on education and college diploma remains an elusive dream to ordinary Filipino youth?”

“Students and parents continue to bear the brunt of paying high fees for education. The past seven years under the Arroyo administration witnessed the further deregulation of the tuition system leading to bigger increases in tuition and other fees both in private and state schools. The recent tuition hike in the country’s premier state university, the University of the Philippines, merely mirrors out government policy to eventually hand over the responsibility of providing education to the private sector,” Peters added.

“Students can no longer be swayed by the president’s big words. The ailing condition of Philippine education and the growing number of out-of-school youth are enough indicators of the real state of education and the Filipino youth.”

“The youth’s future will remain dim under this administration which prefers to spend more on war than education.”

Reference: Krish Rainjit Salas, NUSP Media Officer, 09196145108