Young: Scholars are performing better

CEBU, Philippines - Cebu City Vice Mayor Joy Augustus Young has noted a better performance of the City Hall’s scholars because of a fewer drop outs this year.

Records show that when the City started giving P20,000 scholarship for the school year 2010-2011, there were 4,995 beneficiaries who enrolled in the first semester but the number went down to 3,948 in the second semester.

 This meant that more than 1,000 of the city’s scholars may have shifted to other courses or they stopped going to school.

Young said that during the first semester of school-year 2011-2012, there were 5,019 new scholars aside from the 3,948 beneficiaries for the first batch of scholars.

According to Young, the second batch of scholars was required to undergo evaluation to help them determine what course fits each of them. The scholarship committee tapped a psychometrician to conduct career examinations that would help guide applicants in choosing their courses in college.

Out of the 5,019 who enrolled in the first semester this year, Young said 4,283 of them continued with their studies on the same courses they enrolled in.

“Kon imong tan-awon sa miaging tuig 79 per cent lang sa mga scholars ang mipadayon pagtungha pero karong tuiga misaka na ang percentage ngadto sa 85 per cent,” the vice mayor said.

Young is the chairman of the City Council’s committee on education.

Records also showed that from 4,995 scholars in the first semester last year, the number went down to only 3,170 who enrolled in the second semester.

The Commission on Audit (COA) earlier claimed that the high rate of dropouts was probably because of inadequate screening of the program beneficiaries. This prompted Young to implement stringent policy.

 Young said that the courses offered under the scholarship program were classified into 4-5 year courses, 4-year bachelor’s degree courses and technical and vocational courses depending on the student’s ability. — (FREEMAN)