By In a collective display of dissent, students from various schools and universities converged outside the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) office last June 19, 2024. The protest underscored their resistance against the ongoing suppression and silencing of students, alongside other violations of the Student’s Rights and Welfare (STRAW). These rights encompass students’ freedoms to organize, express themselves, and ensure their security within educational institutions.
They also attempted to formally submit reports to CHED but were not accommodated, with the agency claiming no officials were available to receive them. To Kabataan Partylist, the involvement of CHED Chair Popoy De Vera in the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) demonstrates CHED’s involvement in Marcos Jr.’s orders to target critical students amidst the education crisis.
NTF-ELCAC, notorious for its profiling of progressive students, banning subsidized literature, and intimidating activist students, is currently led by Marcos Jr. as Chairman.
The report also highlighted instances of militarization and armed presence within schools, curbs on organizing, discrimination, and various other alleged violations of students’ rights and welfare.
The Kabataan Partylist called on CHED and other educational institutions to uphold their mandate to safeguard student rights, foster a conducive environment for learning and critical thinking, and advocate for genuine societal change./PT
