'Closure of UP high school needs consensus'

CEBU, Philippines - The threat of University the Philippines Visayas Cebu College to abolish its high school department violated UP system which requires a consensus before passing it as a proposal, said a school official.

Purita Baltazar, UPVCC high school principal, said that the plan to phase out the high school department did not undergo discussion among the UPVCC unit-wide teachers.

She said that they were “caught by surprise” because the memorandum dated January 14, 2009 signed by Dean Enrique Avila mandating them to suspend the acceptance of High School Assessment Test applications for the school year 2010-2011 came first before its actual proposal.

The memorandum containing the proposal, according to Baltazar, came out last January 20.

“In democratic governance there is consensus of the body, walay voice ang college, gikan lang sa dean ang decision,” she said

Baltazar, however, refused to speculate on Avila’s motives and intentions in pushing the proposal to abolish UP high.

The high school teachers, she said, are disappointed with the reports on the closure of UP high school.

“We have already sent a letter appealing to UPV chancellor Minda Formacion to reconsider and find a decision if she would abide by or condone (with the proposal),” she said.

But the UPVCC administration led by Avila earlier said that the plan to phase out its high school department is “not yet final and executory.”

In an interview with Teresita Rodriguez, college secretary, she said that the approval of the proposal to close UP high and downsize its students will take a considerable amount of time since it will undergo thorough inquiry from the UP chancellor, officials, advisers, from the University Council and the Board of Regents.

Last January 20, about 100 students and faculty members of the high school department of UPVCC rallied inside its premises.

Liezyl Gomez of Nagkahiusang Kusug sa Estudyante earlier said that the move of the UPVCC administration to phase out UP high is a demonstration to deepen the commercialization of the university and worsen the crisis in Philippine educational system.

Although HS department understands the concern and thrust of UPVCC to be autonomous and constituent unit of UP system, Baltazar said that the gesture of UPVCC to gradually close UP high is tantamount to jeopardizing the future of some underprivileged but intellectually deserving students.

“Naa’y mga parents mi-request nga dili ipa-close ang UP high, we told them nga dili pa…These parents hope nga dili mahinayon ang pag-close…some of them cried,” she said. — Marjun A. Baguio/MEEV   (FREEMAN NEWS)