NAGPAHAYAG ng pagkabahala si House Committee on Higher and Technical Education Chairperson at TINGOG Party-list Representative Jude Acidre hinggil sa mataas na dropout rates ng mga mag-aaral sa kolehiyo at unibersidad.

Nanawagan si Acidre sa Kongreso na agarang tugunan ang malalaking kakulangan sa suporta at tulong para sa mga mag-aaral.

“Education reform is not just a legislative agenda – but a moral responsibility. It embodies our commitment that no Filipino will be left behind. Every policy we craft, every program we support, every project we pursue, must always be anchored on them whose futures depend on the choices we make today,” ani Acidre.

Ayon sa mambabatas, hindi sapat na basta makapasok lang ang estudyante sa paaralan.

“We cannot be content with policies that simply open the door to our universities. We must ensure that once our young people step through that door, they are supported to walk all the way to the finish line: to graduation, to employment, towards a brighter future,” dagdag pa ni Acidre.

“Four out of ten students who enter higher education in the Philippines do not make it to the finish line. That’s a 39 percent attrition rate. But when we look at certain regions, the situation is even more alarming. In BARMM, nearly all students, 93.4 percent, drop out before graduating. In Region VII, the figure is at 60.7 percent. In Region IX, 59.5 percent. And in the Cordilleras, 54.9 percent,” saad pa ng solon.

Upang matugunan ang problema, itinulak ni Acidre ang resulta ng pag-aaral ng EDCOM.

“This representation shall advocate the legislation of three key measures based on the findings of EDCOM: first, amendments to RA 10931 on the implementation of the Tertiary Education Subsidy, second, a bill that champions student welfare and support, and third, a bill that operationalizes the constitutionally-enshrined complementarity between public and private education institutions,” wika pa nito.

Panawagan ni Acidre ang pagkakaisa para sa mas makabuluhang reporma. “Let us work together to make higher education a right for all, not a privilege for the few. Let us guarantee that no Filipino learner is left behind.”