Lawmakers seek probe on underperforming schools

MANILA, Philippines - Two congressmen sought a congressional inquiry yesterday into continued operations of hundreds of underperforming colleges and universities throughout the country.

In Resolution 1166, Cagayan de Oro City Rep. Rufus Rodriguez and his brother Maximo, who represents the party-list group Abante Mindanao, said there are 2,180 higher education institutions offering various degree programs in the country.

Quoting Dr. Patricia Licuanan, chair of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), they said 2,180 “is a high number, considering the country’s size and population of college-age students.”

“It cannot be denied that not all of these institutions are providing quality education and are performing up to the standards required by law,” they said.

“It is reported that these schools do not follow any guidelines and standards at all, and that results in the chaotic state of education in the country,” they added.

They pointed out that such state translates into low productivity, a lack of capability in research and development, and a lack of critical mass of scientists, researchers and engineers.

The Rodriguez brothers also cited the recent statement of former education secretary Edilberto de Jesus, now president of the Asian Institute of Management, that the lack of regulation from CHED has resulted in many colleges and universities being neglectful of their duty to ensure an acceptable, if not a high, level of quality in their instruction.

“There is a need to seriously look at this situation as those affected are college students who are the future of the country and who expect quality education only to discover when they take licensure examinations that they are not properly educated,” they said.

They said the CHED should have padlocked schools with low passing rates in licensure tests administered by the Professional Regulation Commission.

In particular, they said many schools offering nursing do not perform creditably in these examinations and have no business continuing to accept nursing students.

They added that the failure of CHED to close underperforming colleges and universities has contributed to the huge surplus of nurses in the country.

As of the last count, the Philippine Nursing Association reported that there are 300,000 unemployed nurses.