A student, despondent over her parents’ inability to afford her fees in the University of Philippines (UP), committed suicide last week. The incident triggered campus protests and prompted calls for a review of enrolment procedures in the Philippines.
Kristel Tejada, a 16-year-old student of behavioural science in UP, killed herself on March 15 after drinking a liquid silver cleaner at her house in Tondo, an economically depressed area in Manila.
She had been forced to take a leave of absence from her studies when her parents failed to pay the loan of 10,000 pesos (about $250) for her tuition.
Higher education is one of the many ways in which students hope to lay the foundation of a successful career, or even an escape from poverty and deprivation. However, it comes at a price, and when gifted children (as Kristel was, according to her classmates) see the door shutting on their dreams due to their failure to pay the fees, they can take extreme decisions.
This is not a problem particular to the Philippines. College education in many countries is being threatened by obsolescence due to the emphasis on technology awareness and financial solvency.
Countries hit by recession have been forced to cut down on funding for state universities, leading to a squeeze on students and the main sponsors of their education – their parents.
Added to this is the growing currency of the thought that colleges really don’t teach anything “useful” anymore, or at least any subject that will ensure the student earns his first million dollars as soon as he graduates.
This is the view of Sir Richard Branson, the Virgin millionaire and famous school dropout who is on a campaign to reform higher education across the world.
But this again, is a field that will not respond to generalisation. Who will get to decide which subject is useful and to whom?
In the United States, student loans have touched $1tn (above automotive and credit card debt) as pupils scramble to earn their degrees by working in other jobs to pay their fees.
According to the most recently released census figures, one out of every five college students in the United States works full time, 35-plus hours a week, all year long. With college bills at record highs, students say it’s not a choice. It’s a must.
Average student debt now sits at $26,600. The cost to attend a public four-year college, with room and board, on average: $17,860 per year. Private: $40,000.
In an uncertain employment climate, a loan-burdened student may take years to enjoy the fruits of his or her academic slog.
Educational institutions that pride themselves in creating an exclusive environment for their students may find that little can be achieved without profits to keep their “brand” alive.
Students and parents who have opted for higher education may find the lessons are written elsewhere.
