“Adding 2 years to basic education and cutting the budget for State Universities and Colleges? Mr. President, you are all about ending corruption but your `dagdag-bawas’ moves are corrupting the future of our youth,” This was the statement of Terry Ridon, League of Filipino Students (LFS) National Chairperson on President Benigno Aquino III’s education related plans.

The addition of 2 years to basic education, according to Ridon, will add to the already heavy burden of parents in putting their kids through school. Ridon mentioned that the 2-year addition would cause a rise in dropouts due to the inability to sustain the expenses needed in schooling. He also mentioned that this scheme ultimately aims to create thousands of high school age OFWs.

“Through its edited curriculum that would include courses like welding and foreign languages, the 12 year basic education cycle is meant to equip high school graduates with the skills needed to leave their families, work abroad and be servants of foreign corporations,” Ridon stressed.

Morever, the Aquino administration also addresses the education crisis in the tertiary level by cutting the State Universities and Colleges (SUC) budget by billions. Noy mentioned that the cut is meant to push the schools to be self-sustaining by looking for income-generating projects, most popular of which are tuition hikes.

“The Aquino administration’s decision to slash the SUC budget is tantamount to state abandonment of education. By doing this, they are espousing the idea that education is something that needs to be bought,” Ridon added.

Ridon mentioned that the `dagdag’ the youth needs is greater state subsidy to education and the `bawas’ needed is the cut back on the commercialization of social services, especially in education.

“This `dagdag taon-bawas budget’ move is a clear statement—providing quality and accessible education for the youth is not part of Noy’s agenda.”Ridon concluded.