ISSUE ON DROP OUT STUDENTS

I: Introduction
The study “Factors Affecting Students’ Decision To Drop Out Of School” was conducted
by Hermogenes C. Orion, Jr, Chairperson of Sunday College Program Cor Jesu College, Erikka
June D. Forosuelo, Program Head of Sunday College-BSBA and Jean M. Cavalida, Program Head,
Psychology of Cor Jesu College. The study intended to find out the reasons students drop out of
school and the factors that relatively contributed to the high dropout rate. Results of the study
provided programs design to identify mode of interventions which the school undertakes to address
the problem. Results of the study revealed that financial resources were the major reason students
drop out of school.
In the Philippines, the dropout rates revealed an alarming 83.7 percent, meaning the
country is producing 2.13 million college dropouts annually. In this case, the Philippine
government must, in the next education generation or the next 14 years be able to reverse the
current situation from 80 percent of college students enrolled in private schools and 20 percent in
state universities and colleges (SUCs) to 20 percent, private colleges, and 80 percent SUCs (Manila
Bulletin, 2012). According to the researchers, dropping out is a serious problem because it denies
individual students their fundamental human right to education which I, as a senior high school
teacher absolutely agree.

II: Discussion
In a 2014 Annual Poverty Indicator survey, there were 12 million persons aged 6 to 24
years who were not attending school in school year 2013‐2014. The most common reasons for not
attending school were employment or looking for work (25.5%), high cost of education or financial
concern (22.9%), marriage or family matters (18.7%), and lack of personal interest (14.2%). Take
note that high cost of education or financial concern is the second most common reason. If that is
the case, then we should ask ourselves where the yearly budget for education goes. Does it mean
despite the free education program of the government for the basic education, still many Filipinos
cannot afford to go to school? If that is the case then, let us not add more to the figures.
The students right to education will be violated once they will drop out of school due to
problems such as financial related, teacher-student relationship and the like which are actually out
of the students control. This right to education was essentially supported by some International
Laws. Article 26 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that everyone has the
right to education and that education shall be free, at least in the elementary and fundamental
stages. The senior high school is still part of the fundamental stages of learning and as such,
students deserve assistance from the government for financial related problems leading to drop
outs. Good thing that our Philippine government seems to be working hard in order to address this
problem as evidenced by the assistance to private schools which are considered as essential
partners in basic education.
In addition, Articles 13 and 14 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and
Cultural Right also stated that the right to education includes the right to free, compulsory primary
education for all, an obligation to develop secondary education accessible to all in particular by
the progressive introduction of free secondary education, as well as an obligation to develop
equitable access to higher education. It is clear then that not only the basic education is covered of
this right to education but including the tertiary education of the child. This international covenant
was also backed up by the 1987 Philippine Constitution which speaks elaborately of the right to
education. It promised to “…protect and promote the right of all citizens to quality education at all
levels, and … take appropriate steps to make such education accessible to all”. This assurance is
embedded Article XIV of our 1987 Philippine Constitution.

Republic Act No. 10931 known as the "Universal Access to Quality Tertiary
Education Act" stated that the State hereby recognizes the complementary roles of public and
private higher education institutions and technical-vocational institutions in the educational system
and the invaluable contribution that the private tertiary schools have made and will make to
education. For these intents, the State shall:
(a) Provide adequate funding and such other mechanisms to increase the participation rate
among all socioeconomic classes in tertiary education;
(b) Provide all Filipinos with equal opportunity to quality tertiary education in both the
private and public educational institutions;
(c) Give priority to students who are academically able and who come from poor families;
(d) Ensure the optimized utilization of government resources in education;
(e) Provide adequate guidance and incentives in channeling young Filipinos in their career
choices and towards the proper development and utilization of human resources; and
 (f) Recognize the complementary roles of public and private institutions in tertiary
educational system.
This would explain the efforts of the government in providing subsidy to students who
are enrolled in the private institutions. Recently, the government also paid certain amounts on
students’ tuition fee in the Junior and Senior high school.

III: Recommendation

With all of these legal bases promulgated by the government, students should not be
dropping out of school for financial related reasons knowing that they are provided with the right
to education coupled with all the benefits. They should be assertive of their rights and at the same
time be aware of their duties as recipients of the said right of education.
Parents, teachers and members of the community must also be involved to lessen if not
avoid drop out issues. School administration should also implement and support the home
visitation program of the department in order to address problems encountered by the at risk
students.
The Alternative Learning System must also be accessible to drop outs in order for them to
continue schooling. Learning centers should also be accessible and not located in far flung areas
wherein only few people can have access. The government should also consider students who are
living within the center of towns but cannot afford to go to private schools.

Marivic P. Ramon, LPT

MAED-EM Student
IFSU Lamut Campus
3600 Lamut, Ifugao
Philippines
References
Annual Poverty Indicator Survey of 2014(n.d) Retrieved from https://psa.gov.ph/content/annual-
poverty-indicators-survey-apis
Everyone has the Right to Education: Article 26: Universal Declaration of Human Rights
Retrieved from https://www.err.og/roma-rights-journal/everyone-has-the-right--to-
education-article-26-universal-declaration-of-human-rights-1948
International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Right (2018) Retrieved from
https://equalityhumanrights.com/en/our-human-roghts-work/monitoring-and-promoting-
un-treaties/international-covenant-economi-social
Paglinawan, J.(2014) Problems and Issues in the Philippine Educational System. Retrieved from
https://www.slideshare.net>jlpaglinawan
The 1987 Philippine Constitution.(n.d) Retrieved from https://www.lawphil.net