PNoy bet calls on CHED to suspend tuition fee hikes

Saying that unwarranted and abusive tuition fee increases is a “form of private sector corruption”, Team PNoy senatorial bet Risa Hontiveros called on the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) to suspend any petition for tuition hikes.

She said since CHED chairwoman Patricia Licuanan herself admitted that the existing mechanism is flawed, a freeze on all tuition hike petitions from around 500 higher educational institutions all over the country should be implemented.

“If the schools meet the basic conditions, they’re hardly denied of their request to increase tuition. CHED finds it difficult to monitor if the justifications submitted by the schools are accurate, hence the approval is at times approved arbitrarily,” Hontiveros said in a statement.

“Insufficient regulatory capacity on the part of CHED and a flawed tuition fee guidelines provide the perfect recipe for private sector corruption,” she stressed.

Student groups has warned CHED against granting tuition hike pleas without proper consultation with the students.

Hontiveros said the CHED should wait for the approval of the new guidelines before giving in to any fee hike petitions.

“CHED itself admitted that the current guidelines is flawed and needs to be revised, so it is prudent not to decide on the petitions until the new guidelines is approved and enforced,” she said.

“There is no compelling reason why the decision on these petitions should be rushed, especially with the good economic outlook on the country,” she argued.

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