Published by Danica Demaclid
Date Published: June 9, 2023
Time Published: 9:53 AM
Not everyone has the capability to afford studying in a decent school, especially if it requires expensive fees. That is why state universities are the top priority school for most students, as it requires no tuition fee and just maintain grades. But what does it take to enter a state university?
University of the Philippines (UP) and other state universities require an admission test and standard average of grades. This is for them to maximize their high quality education with limited resources only. Everyone is allowed to take the test because education is for everyone—but state universities must be for the less privileged.
University of the Philippines College Admission Test (UPCAT) is one of the well-known tests for incoming college students. They are one of the go-to universities for students because UP is one of the highest-ranking schools in our country—it's a state university.
UP became a standard of excellence and tradition in different families. It is a big achievement when you get accepted into a university. Many factors are being checked when students are choosing their school, one of them is whether the school has an expensive tuition fee or free tuition fee. Expenses are one of the biggest factors.
According to a report, "by all indicators, students coming from poor families have inadequate and inferior preparations compared with their counterparts in the more privileged strata of society." People who have more resources can prepare for the said examination much better than the ones who cannot.
"Ironically, students from higher socio-economic classes who can pay the actual costs of their education through higher tuition dominate the UP student populace. In effect, the richer students are the ones enjoying government subsidy," a study group said.
With this, less privileged people are being outcast by the higher classes in society when it comes to UPCAT. They have the time, resources, and money, which gives them a better foundation in education. This results in more privileged students passing the UPCAT than less privileged ones.
I am not saying that students who have the privilege to study without worrying about tuition fees do not deserve to pass the test, they also put their hard work into it, but there are many students who deserve the slot in studying in a state university because they need it.
In conclusion, everything just goes back to its roots—lack of budget and unjust system. State universities must be well funded and have decent support from the government. Proper guidelines or systems in these schools must also be present. If each university that is being run by the tax of the community has a enough budget, then the students do not need to struggle in proving themselves if they deserve to be in the university.
The "para sa mayaman o mahirap" will not exist anymore if the schools have enough resources to accommodate all the students who want to learn. But in the meantime, may all the less privileged students get their right to education. While for the privileged ones, check your privileges and capabilities—be disturbed in your comfort.
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Photo Source: ABS CBN News
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