A UNITED CALL TO RISESTOP TUITION AND OTHER FEES HIKE! NO TO

BUDGET CUTS!

We, the student councils, organizations, fraternities, sororities, and student formations under the banner of Rise for Education-UP System, firmly believe that education is a right. It is the Constitutional obligation of the State to prioritize education to inculcate patriotism and nationalism among the youth. We further believe that education is pivotal towards the achievement of total human liberation and development. Therefore, the citizen’s right to quality education at all levels shall be protected, promoted and upheld by the State.

Six years of “daang matuwid” has pushed the Iskolar ng Bayan to the abyss of perennial tuition and other school fee increases. Education has been reduced to being a lucrative business for profiteering driven by massive deregulation and privatization of education.

The crisis of the university has further worsened with the continued increase in tuition through the Socialized Tuition Scam, as well as the increases in redundant, exorbitant, and dubious Other School Fees such as laboratory fees, miscellaneous fees, and rental fees. Student services such as dormitories are undergoing rampant privatization and have become source of profit-making which also resulted to scarce slots for classes and dormitories. Even affordable food service from maninindas and cafeterias like CASAA has been set-aside for expensive and commercialized food concessionaires. The call for democratic right is met with worsening repression and harassment on students by administrators and state agents.

The Aquino administration further aggravates this plight with its proposed P2.2 Billion budget cut on UP for 2016, with 59 other SUCs to suffer hefty cuts in the budget for maintenance and other operating expenses (MOOE), and 40 SUCs will have cuts in their capital outlay budget. Meanwhile, K-12 is in its full swing implementation and will further worsen the elitist and colonial character of education.

In light of this, we, the undersigned student leaders and formations, declare our unity in forwarding our demands and calls to:

1) Junk Tuition Hikes and Other School Fees! 2) Oppose the P2.2 billion Budget Cut! 3) Stop Commercialization Schemes in UP! 4) Uphold students’ democratic and academic rights!

We declare September 23-25 as System-wide Days of Action and Walkout to fight for quality and accessible education and oppose budget cuts! We enjoin the whole student body and the UP community to show resolve, strength, and unity through various activities and programs designed to encourage the active participation of our respective colleges, offices, organizations and constituents to support this campaign.

Let us show the power of collective action through mass demonstrations and other forms of protests— for only through our collective effort can we ensure that education be truly democratic, scientific, and geared towards serving the nation. •

A UNITED CALL TO RISESTOP TUITION AND OTHER FEES HIKE! NO TO

BUDGET CUTS!September 2015

Signed:

_________________________________

_________________________________

_________________________________

_________________________________

_________________________________

_________________________________

_________________________________

_________________________________

_________________________________

_________________________________