Hollywood stars among dozens charged over college entrance scam

NEW YORK -- "Desperate Housewives" star Felicity Huffman and fellow Hollywood actress Lori Loughlin were among dozens indicted Tuesday in a multi-million dollar scam to help children of the American elite cheat their way into top universities.

The accused, who also include chief executives, financiers, the chairman of a prominent law firm, a winemaker and fashion designer, allegedly cheated on admissions tests and arranged for bribes to get their children into prestigious schools including Yale, Stanford, Georgetown and the University of Southern California, federal prosecutors said.

They paid a bogus charity run by Californian William Singer more than $25 million over seven years both to arrange for people to fix SAT and ACT entrance exams for their children, and also to bribe university sports coaches to recruit their children, even when the children were not qualified to play at that level.

The case sparked outrage across the country, especially among parents who stress about the intense competition for places in universities and, more broadly, about privileged behavior among the richest Americans.

In all, 50 people were charged: 33 parents who paid to give their kids undeserved entry into high-end college life; 13 university sports coaches and test organization operators; and Singer and three others who operated the fraudulent scheme.

Thirteen of those accused, including Huffman, were arrested and slated for arraignment late Tuesday in Los Angeles. Others appeared in courts in Boston, New York, Connecticut and elsewhere. Loughlin was not arrested because she was in Canada.

None of the universities or the companies who run the tests were implicated, and none of the students involved were charged.

"These parents are a catalog of wealth and privilege," said Andrew Lelling, the US attorney in Boston, Massachusetts where the case was announced.

"Every year hundreds of thousands of hard-working, talented students strive for admission to elite schools," he said.

"There can be no separate college admission system for the wealthy, and, I'll add, there will not be a separate criminal justice system, either."

PREYING ON PARENTAL ANXIETY 

The scheme aimed to take advantage of the two years of the anxiety s parents across the United States often endure as they put high school-age children through the standardized tests needed to gain entry into heavily competitive colleges and universities.

Even legally, wealth plays a role. Parents who can afford to pay heavily for test preparation and have their children take the tests two or three times to better their scores.

In this case, however, Singer arranged for someone to take the test for the students, or paid insiders to fix their scores.

And, in a second part of the scheme, the "side door" operation, Singer would create bogus athletic profiles for the students and manage payoffs to university coaches in minor sports like soccer, crew, water polo and sailing so that the student could be accepted on that basis.

The payments were made to Singer's fake Newport Beach, California charity, Key Worldwide Foundation, and to non-profits managed by the coaches, which allowed the parents to deduct the payoffs and bribes from their taxes.

Singer agreed to plead guilty to fraud charges and assisted investigators in obtaining evidence against his customers and co-conspirators.

NOT 'SHAMELESS' 

Parents paid as little as $15,000 and as much as $6 million to benefit from Singer's operation.

Huffman, 56, and her husband William Macy, the star of Showtime's hit series "Shameless," paid $15,000 for their first daughter to perform well on the test, but decided not to do the same with their second daughter. Macy was mentioned in the case but not charged.

Loughlin, the 54-year-old star of "Full House," and her fashion designer husband Mossimo Giannulli allegedly paid $500,000 to gain their two daughters entry into University of Southern California as coxswains for crew teams -- a sport they hadn't participated in before.

Gordon Caplan, co-chairman of New York law firm Willkie Farr & Gallagher, allegedly paid $75,000 to have his daughter's test grades fixed.

And William McGlashan, an executive at the huge investment group TPG Capital who specialized in technology investments, allegedly paid hundreds of thousands of dollars for both testing and being placed in University of Southern California as a student athlete.

"What is going to happen when they see his application, he'll be flagged as an athlete," Singer told him in a phone conversation recorded by investigators.

"But once he gets here, he just goes, he doesn't go to athletic orientation, He goes to the regular orientation like all my other kids just did... and everything's fine."

Coaches, including the women's soccer coach at Yale University and the sailing coach at Stanford University, took between $200,000 and $400,000 to accept the students onto their teams.

Some attempted to ply the sport and then quit; some claimed injuries and never joined the teams, others, Lelling said, "simply never showed up" to play.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Japanese med school admits rigging entrance exams

TOKYO - Another university admitted Wednesday to rigging entrance exams for its medical faculty in favor of children of its graduates, raising the total tally of Japanese medical schools found having manipulated their admission process to nine.

Nihon University said it favored a total of 18 applicants who are kin to graduates for the three years from 2016 when they were accepted under additional admission.

The university said there were other similar cases in 2015 or even before.

An official at the university said at a press conference that the university wanted to "secure applicants who will definitely enter our university" as it sees many not enrolling after passing the exam.

A number of improper practices in medical school admissions have been uncovered at Japanese universities since the education ministry launched a probe into 81 universities with a medical faculty in August. Tokyo Medical University was the first to have been found discriminating against female applicants.

Eight universities have already revealed misconduct on their own and St. Marianna University School of Medicine said Wednesday that while it is under the ministry's probe it has not committed any misconduct.

The ministry plans to release its final report of the probe by the end of this year.

In its midterm report, the ministry gave several examples of misconduct, including a bias against female applicants and applicants who have failed the exams many times in the past, as well as the padding of scores of applicants who are children of alumni.

Other instances of misconduct include the padding scores of first-time exam takers and not adhering to the order of scores when accepting applicants on a waiting-list.

The eight universities to already admit to misconduct include Tokyo Medical University and Juntendo University, which both discriminated against women, and Showa University and Fukuoka University, which both discriminated against individuals who had failed past exams.

The four remaining universities are Kobe University, Iwate Medical University, Kanazawa Medical University and Kitasato University.

==Kyodo

source: news.abs-cbn.com

French universities to offer more courses in English to attract foreign students

PARIS - France wants to boost the number of foreign students at its universities by more than half over the next decade and will offer more courses taught in English to attract them.

Prime Minister Edouard Philippe, announcing the plan on Monday, said increasing the number of foreigners studying in the country would help build French influence overseas.

Home to centuries-old universities such as the Sorbonne in Paris and some leading business schools, France is the world's top non-English speaking student destination, but it ranks behind the United States, Britain, and Australia.

The number of foreign students at French universities fell by 8.5 percent between 2011 and 2016 and the country has seen increased competition from Germany, Russia, Canada and China, the prime minister's office said.

"Many countries are already building global attractivity strategies, linking studies, the job market, tourism, which explains the influence of Asia or monarchies in the Gulf," Philippe said in a speech unveiling the strategy. "In this field just as in other economic ones, the world's balance of power is shifting. That's why we need to welcome more foreign students."

Under the plan, France will simplify student visa regulations but will also increase tuition fees for students outside the European Economic Area in order to be able to provide better facilities. However, fees will still be much lower than in Britain and other neighboring countries.

From March 2019, foreign graduates with a French master's degree will be able to get a residence visa to look for work or set up a business in France.

"We are constantly compared, audited, judged among 10 other possible destinations. In an age of social media, no one can rest on its reputation only," Philippe said.

French officials said current fees of around 170 euros ($195) a year for a bachelor's degree in France or 243 euros for a masters' - the same as those paid by French students - was interpreted by students in countries like China as a sign of low quality.

From September 2019, non-European students will be charged 2,770 euros annually to study for a bachelor's degree and 3,770 euros a year for masters and PhDs.

"That means France will still subsidize two thirds of the cost of their studies," Philippe said. "And the fees will remain well below the 8,000 euros to 13,000 euros charged by the Dutch or the tens of thousands of pounds paid in Britain," he said.

Some of the extra revenue will be used to boost the number of scholarships offered by the foreign ministry.

The number of courses taught in English, which have already been increased fivefold since 2004 to 1,328, will be boosted further, Philippe said.

More French classes will also be on offer for foreign students and student visa applications will be made available online. ($1 = 0.8727 euros)

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Duterte signs bill granting free tuition in SUCs

MANILA -  President Rodrigo Duterte has signed the bill granting free tuition in state colleges and universities, Deputy Executive Secretary Menardo Guevarra said.

Duterte signed the law ahead of the 30-day period given under the Constitution before the bill lapses into a law.

Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno, reacting to the passage of the bill, emphasized that it will be "prospective, not retroactive."

He said he will first have to estimate the cost of the program's implementation in the first semester of school year 2018-2019 to determine how much can be funded from the 2018 budget.

"We may have to consider disallowing use of income by SUCs. If worse comes to worst, we may consider asking for supplemental budget," he said in a statement.

The President signed the bill despite the reluctance of some members of his economic team on the proposed measure due to the cost that will be entailed in funding free tertiary education.

Guevarra, however, said the President considered the long-term benefits that the free tuition and other fees will give to the public.

“Free tertiary education in SUCs is a very strong pillar or cornerstone of the President’s social development policy,” Guevarra said in a news conference in Pasay City.

“He weighed everything and came to the conclusion that the long-term benefits that will be derived from the well-developed tertiary education on the part of the citizenry will definitely outweigh any short-term budgetary challenges.”

Diokno earlier said the government may not be able to shoulder the cost of granting free tuition in SUCs. He said the government may have to shell out P100 billion annually if the bill passes into law.

Guevarra, however, said Diokno’s estimate may have been based on the the assumption that all the aspects of the law, including the non-mandatory provisions, will be implemented all at the same time.

Citing data from the Commission on Higher Education, Guevarra said an initial amount of P16 billion may be needed to fund the mandatory provisions of the law, such as the grant of free tuition and miscellaneous fees.

“That’s manageable,” he said in a chance interview.

He added that Congress, which is now deliberating the proposed budget for 2018, will now have to put into consideration the newly passed law.

“The President has already submitted the National Expenditure Program, but during the budget deliberations, anything can still happen. Certain adjustments can be made, possibly a reallocation can be done,” Guevarra said.

He added the government is also hoping to get official development assistance and grants from local and international donors for the implementation of the law.

While the law will take effect 15 days after its publication in a newspaper of general circulation, the benefits under it may be felt in the next enrolment.

Guevarra said the grant of other educational expenses such as books, board and lodging, student loans, and scholarships, will have to be subsidized by a fund to be established by the Unified Student Financial Assistance System for Tertiary Education (UNIFAST) board.

“As far as I understand, these are not the mandatory provisions. When the student enrols in a state college, it does not mean he will have all of this at the same time,” he said.

He also noted that those who will be given free educational expenses apart from tuition should belong to the “bottom 20 percent” of the student population.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Top 10 most expensive colleges, universities in PH

The cost of education in the Philippines continues to rise, as the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) recently approved the increase in tuition and other school fees of 313 private higher education institutions (HEIs).

Of the 313 institutions, 283 will increase tuition, while 212 will increase other school fees.

According to CHED, there will be an average increase of 6.17% for tuition, equivalent to P29.86 per unit.

Other school fees, on the other hand, will see an average increase of 6.55%, equivalent to P135.60.

Here are the top 10 most expensive colleges and universities for this school year:

Mobile users can view the desktop version of the slideshow here.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

3 Unconventional Ways to Graduate College with Less Debt

The cost of college tuition has increased so much in recent years that the value of a college diploma is now in question. However, despite the cost, a college degree is still a prerequisite to getting hired in many fields. To companies, college is more than just the diploma; it is a valuable life experience. By graduating, you are demonstrating that you are self-motivated, can manage your time effectively, work well with others, speak and write clearly and possess many other fundamental skills that employers seek when filling open positions.

 In addition, college is not just about figuring out what you want to do, but who you want to be and how to get there. So, before deciding that the cost of tuition puts college out of your reach, read on for some unconventional ways to get a degree without incurring an unmanageable price tag.

Do your homework and get hired FIRST

Recent high school graduates oftentimes don’t realize that many large employers will finance all or part of your education as part of your benefits package. That’s right; a college education courtesy of your employer. This option means you will be busy, working and taking classes in your spare time. However, chances are if you are reading this article you were planning on working while attending school anyway. Rather than take the first restaurant server job you're offered, do your homework and find a job in a company that values educated employees. An added bonus is that by the time you graduate, you'll have years worth of solid work experience - a quality that many recent college graduates lack and could put you ahead of the competition for your dream job.

Taking this idea one step further, if you can find a staff job at a college that allows employees to attend classes, working on campus will make this process very convenient and you'll be able to get more involved in the typical college experience. 

Start smaller

Start your college career at a community college. More and more community colleges and universities are teaming up to make transitions from one to the other natural and seamless.  The classes will be small, the experience less overwhelming and the tuition rates are often half the cost of a university. When you finish your two year degree, transfer to the university for another two years and by the time you are finished, you’ll have a bachelor’s degree for a fraction of the cost your fellow graduates paid (or will pay depending on their loan situation).

Start earlier

If you are still in high school, check to see if your school has reciprocal agreements with colleges that allow you to take college courses while in high school for little or no cost. You could graduate high school with college credits without shelling out a dime.

A college education is an investment that doesn't have to be a burden. Don’t let short term financial realities affect your long term goals.

source: infobarrel.com

DLSU wins bid for Bonifacio lot

Manila, Philippines - De La Salle University is heading to Bonifacio Global City.

Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) on Saturday said it awarded the last remaining vacant lot at the Institutional Area of Bonifacio Global City (BGC) to lone bidder DLSU.

"We welcome De La Salle University to the Bonifacio Global City and we are confident that the presence of De La Salle, one of the country’s prestigious universities, will play a major role in affirming the BGC as not just as a premier business, commercial and residential area but a premier institutional area as well,” BCDA president Arnel Casanova said.

De La Salle will pay an annual lease of P3.948 million for the 1,395 square-meter property. This will be subject to an annual escalation of 5% starting on the second year.

Upon signing of the contract, BCDA said DLSU will immediately remit an advance payment equivalent to the annual lease for the first four years with an annual escalation of 5%.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines will benefit from the deal, since 50% of the lease remittances will go to the AFP Modernization Program.

At present, the University of the Philippines also has a lot in the institutional area of BGC where it plans to put up a satellite campus called UP Professional Schools and offer post-graduate courses in Law, Business Administration, Statistics, Engineering and Architecture.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

3 UP campuses, DLSU lead web rankings in PH

MANILA -- The University of the Philippines' (UP) Manila, Diliman and Los Baños campuses are the best performing academic institutions in the country based on their web impact, a Spanish research firm revealed.

According to the Spanish National Research Council's Webometrics Ranking of World Universities 2013, the De La Salle University (DLSU) ranked fourth while Bukidnon State University landed in the fifth place in terms of "presence, impact, openness and excellence" as expressed in their online impact.

DLSU's sports rival Ateneo de Manila University's overall web-based performance is sixth in the Philippines, followed again by the University of the Philippines System at number seven.

University of Santo Tomas, University of the Assumption and Aquinas University, respectively, complete the top ten slots in the nationwide web presence assessment.

The ranking conducted since 2004 was built from publicly available web data, using specially designed "composite indicators" such as visibility and activity to develop the global study, the research organization said on its website.

"The objective is not to evaluate websites, their design or usability or the popularity of their contents according to the number of visits or visitors. Web indicators are considered as proxies in the correct, comprehensive, deep evaluation of the university global performance, taking into account its activities and outputs and their relevance and impact," it added.

In explaining its methodology, the Spanish agency said that it also used link analysis for quality evaluation "as it is a far more powerful than citation analysis or global surveys."

The council also recommends that if a school's rank falls below its expected position, its officials can reconsider improving or adjusting their online policies and increase their electronic publications.

In Asia, the National University of Singapore bested all other higher education institutions, followed by Tsinghua University in China and the University of Tokyo.

No Philippine university, however, made it to the top 400 in Asia, as UP Manila fell at 403rd place and UP Diliman ranked 425th in the region.

Harvard University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Stanford University, respectively, are the world's top three in the list.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Financial Considerations for Students

For many young people, starting college or university is not just the start of their higher education but also the start of their financial one. This is a time when many younger people have to start fending for themselves financially. With this in mind there are a number of financial considerations to think about as a student.











Avoid the hard sell on credit cards

There is nothing wrong with having a credit card as a student providing you use and repay it sensibly. However, one thing you should avoid is signing up to a credit card following the hard sell from a provider that targets vulnerable groups. These cards often come with freebies to entice students but can often end up being far more costly than many other cards on the market. Therefore, if you do plan to get a credit card, make sure you do your own research and make your own decision about which one is best for you. Credit card debt can become a huge problem for people of all ages, and while there are experts that can help to deal with debt issues such as those at Consolidated Credit, it is important to take steps to avoid this type of situation, particularly when you are just starting out in adult life.

Raising extra cash

Student loans and grants don’t always stretch as far as we would like them to. Many students find themselves in need of extra cash and some end up taking the dangerous route such as costly bank loans or even loan sharks. You should avoid the latter at all costs and even bank loans should be a last resort. Instead, think outside the box and look at options such as getting a part time or Saturday job, selling items you no longer want or need, or finding out about top up grants and loans.

Don’t waste money on brand new books

Buying textbooks for your courses can be costly. Of course, you need to get the textbooks required for your course but there are other options apart from buying them brand new. You can look at borrowing them from the library, getting online and finding a second hand copy, or even sharing with friends who have already purchased them for their course.

Avoid the temptation to overspend on eating out

Many students find themselves eating out more often than not, but this can have an adverse effect on your health and your budget. Instead, buy yourself a student cookbook, which focuses on cheap yet nutritious meals, and learn how to rustle up some quick and tasty dishes at home.

Don’t become a party animal

Some students get carried away with parties, clubs, and nightlife when they begin their life at college. However, while this can be a novelty at first it can become a very costly habit in next to no time. Make sure you are careful about the amount you blow on going out and don’t spend more than you have budgeted each month on entertainment.

Being mindful about your spending and financial habits as a student will not only offer immediate benefits but can teach you valuable lessons for the future as well.

source: lifeandmyfinances.com

UP, Ateneo, La Salle grads hired faster, paid more

MANILA, Philippines - Graduates of the top 3 educational institutions in the Philippines are hired faster and paid more by employers, according to the National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB).

The NSCB, in a new report citing a Graduate Tracer Study made by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), said graduates of the University of the Philippines, Ateneo de Manila University, and De La Salle University have a significant head start in their careers compared to graduates of other colleges and universities nationwide.

Of the "Big 3," UP graduates were the fastest to find work but were paid a smaller starting salary compared to Ateneo or La Salle graduates.

UP graduates only waited an average of 1.8 month to find work and had a mean income per month of a little over P9,700.

De La Salle graduates actively looked for a job for an average of 2.4 months but got a mean income per month of almost P11,900.

Ateneo graduates, meanwhile, spend an average of 2.9 months looking for work and had a mean income per month of around P 10,100.

In comparison, graduates of other private sectarian universities spent almost 4 months looking for work and got a mean oncome of P8,388.

Graduates of private non-sectarian schools, meanwhile, spent 4.4 months looking for work and had a mean income of just 8,202.

Meanwhile, graduates of local colleges and universities, other state unuversities, and non-profit educational institutions spent as much as an average of 6 months looking for work and were paid far less than graduates of the "Big 3" schools.

NSCB Secretary General Jose Ramon Albert cited the 1999 CHED data in his report released Friday on whether education is in sync with the country's labor conditions and needs.

"The 1999 GTS suggests that graduates from the three premier HEIs in the country, namely, the University of the Philippines, De La Salle University, and Ateneo de Manila University, have triple plus points: lower waiting time to join the job market from the time of graduation; higher employment rates; and higher income," he said.

"About half of the respondents to the study land jobs within 6 months after graduation, and about one percent of them do not have jobs even 2 years after their graduation," he added.

"Chief among the reported reasons why the college graduates surveyed for the 1999 GTS find difficulty getting jobs are lack of job opportunities, and unsatisfactory salaries or opportunities for advancement in jobs," Albert said.

He raised the need to conduct a new GTS to determine if supply from higher education meets the demands of the labor market.

'Choosy graduates'

Citing a 2006-2011 set of data from the Labor Force Survey (LFS) conducted by the National Statistics Office, Albert said college graduates account for at least 18 percent of the total unemployed in the country.

Most of the college graduates who are not working earned degrees on medical courses, trade, craft and industrial programs, engineering and architectural programs, he said.

In comparision, Bureau of Labor Employment Statistics (BLES) data indicate that the top 3 "hard-to-fill" job vacancies from January 2009 to June 2010 include accountants and auditors, electronics and communications engineers, and systems analysts and designers.

"The top 3 reasons why vacancies are hard to fill were: 1) applicants lack needed competency/skill; 2) applicants expect a high salary; and 3) applicants lack years of experience," he explained.

He said this jibes with the CHED's 1999 GTS that shows jobless college graduates seem to be "choosy" in seeking jobs.

Albert said 2 in 5 unemployed graduate say they are jobless because of the following reasons: there is no job opening in field of specialization; no interest in getting a job; starting pay is low; and, no job opening within the vicinity of residence.

"The GTS clearly has a wealth of information that are useful in designing policies that put education in sync with employment," he said.

Albert told ABS-CBNNews.com they are still waiting for the results of a new 2012 GTS that was commissioned to DLSU.

"The CHED appears to have conducted the GTS last year, and I look forward to examining the results," he said.

source: abs-cbnnews.com

UST steers clear of Varsitarian rant

MANILA, Philippines - The University of Sto. Tomas (UST) on Tuesday washed its hands of a scathing attack made by its campus publication, The Varsitarian, on other teachers and students of other universities supporting the reproductive health (RH) bill.


UST, in a press statement, said it did not have any say in the publication's an op-ed article titled “RH bill, Ateneo, and La Salle: Of lemons and cowards.”

"The opinion expressed in the Varsitarian Opinion-Editorial insofar as it supposedly called the pro-RH Bill professors of the Ateneo de Manila University and the De La Salle University as "intellectual pretenders and interlopers" does not bear the University's imprimatur," UST said.

"Arguments for and against the controversial Reproductive Health bill have been expressed in various fora including the social media. Since the bill is a highly charged topic, emotions indeed may reach feverish pitch in the healthy exchanges of ideas," it added.

"The University of Santo Tomas has been steadfastly consistent in its opposition to certain provisions of the bill which are repugnant to the teachings of our Catholic faith," it said.

"The University thus supports the Varsitarian, its official student publication, in its stand against the RH Bill and for that matter any organization united in this regard with the Catholic Church," UST said. "While it is one with the Varsitarian in this light, the University does not impose its will nor exercise prior restraint on the opinions of the school paper's writers nor the manner by which they are expressed."

source: abs-cbnnews.com

Student leaders ask DBM to increase budget of state colleges

MANILA, Philippines - Student leaders from different state universities and colleges (SUCs) went to the office of Department of Budget and Management Secretary Florencio Abad on Friday to lobby for higher budget for SUCs as the group maintained that the Aquino administration still underspent when it came to higher education.

The group, representing the SUC Budget Watch Alliance, Akbayan Youth and the Student Council Alliance of the Philippines (SCAP), the largest student council in the country, said the crisis in education will remain a problem if the fundamental issue of budget is not properly addressed.

Although Budget Secretary Abad was supposed to participate in the dialogue, he however sent his apologies to the group for not attending because he had an urgent meeting to finalize the 2013 national budget. Present in the dialogue were assistant secretary Luz M. Cantor, chief budget and management specialist Dante De Chavez and regional director Ruby Esteban.

The student leaders stressed that quality, relevant and accessible public tertiary education would be impossible without sufficient support from the government.

“We call on this administration to heed the call of the youth and students to give greater premium to education, and prioritization of education should never discriminate tertiary education,” said Heart Diño, chairperson of UP Diliman student council and SCAP-NCR.

“If SUCs were forced to be self-sufficient, they will not achieve their inherent goal of providing education to those who are most in need -- the underprivileged and poor families in our society,” Diño added.

“Inadequate facilities, few teaching personnel – these are some of the problems that SUCs are currently facing, resulting in tuition increases and disturbing the creation of more income generating projects to sustain the school’s operation. With this current situation, our government should provide higher budget for SUCs,” quipped Akbayan Youth’s Marian Bahalla.

UP system needs P18.4 billion

Jason Alacapa, UP Manila student council chairperson, said, “Insufficient funding of UP negatively affects its capacity to fulfill its mandate as a national university. According to DBM, UP will receive a higher budget this year amounting to almost P10.8 billion, but it is still far from the P18.4 billion that UP system would need to properly manage its campuses nationwide.”

He mentioned that the Philippine General Hospital (PGH), which gets a share in the UP system budget, only receives about 60% of what it needs in relation to its annual expenditure.

"Due to this, free services for patients earning below P7,500 a month are almost scrapped,” Alacapa added.

AR Angcos, president of Philippine Normal University (PNU), argued that classes in the university are being merged since the school's budget is not enough to hire additional teaching personnel. He said there are not enough adequate facilities for ICT training to make future teachers technologically competitive.

“As the government has shown its commitment to progress in terms of education, it’s at the same time sending a wrong message by drastically lowering the budget of the country’s best source of quality teachers, which is PNU,” Angcos continued.

The group also rationalized the need for additional budget for other SUCs especially those that are Centers for Excellence and Centers for Development sucj as Mindanao State University and Central Luzon State University.

School in Pag-asa Island

The group likewise asked for sufficient funding support for the Pag-asa Elementary School, a new school being built in Pag-asa Island, one of the disputed islands in the Spratly group of islands in the West Philippine Sea.

Jana Cabuhat, national chairperson of the SCAP, said: “Students are forced to go to mainland Palawan to attend classes because Kalayaan town has no schools. Now that the local government is putting up its own elementary school, DBM should fully support the initiative.”

The group concluded the meeting by asking the DBM officials to allocate appropriate budget increases for SUCs and to lay down a progressive reform agenda for the education sector that does not discriminate against tertiary education.

There was also a clarification with regard to the increase in the budget of SUCs. This is due to the “roadmap” presented by the Commission on Higher Education.

In parting, the group successfully got the commitment of the officials to implement the coordination for the SUC budget process and for the creation of an alternative budget for SUCs.

source: interaksyon.com

Ateneo, UP, DLSU among world's best schools in teaching English

Three Philippine universities are among the world's 50 best in teaching English, according to the 2012 survey by London research and ratings firm Quacquarelli Symonds (QS).

Ateneo de Manila University led the three Philippine universities, placing 24th globally with a score of 68.9, a substantial improvement from its previous ranking of 35th.

Sharing the 32nd spot with the University of California Irvine, the University of the Philippines garnered a score of 65.7. De La Salle University placed 44th with a score of 63.1.

Universities in countries like United Kingdom and United States where the native language is English cornered the top five spots, in the following order: University of Cambridge, Harvard University, University of Oxford, Yale University, and University of California, Berkeley.

The universities were ranked based on academic reputation, employer reputation, and citations per paper.

source: interaksyon.com

Common Application

Common Application is regulated towards helping students find and apply to Colleges and Universities online. Common Application will be used by 392 Colleges and Universities for admissions and 122 will use it exclusively for students to lessen the number of separate applications a student applying to many colleges would have to complete. Students will need name and address of any high schools they have studied or attended as well as email address of those from whom they plan to seek teacher's report and assessment.


Common Application form that students can review to understand what information they will need to complete the application.