High Dropout Rates Among Filipino College Students
Nearly four out of ten Filipino college students drop out before completing their degrees, despite government efforts to ease financial burdens through free tuition programs. This alarming trend highlights serious issues related to employability pressures and lack of engagement in school, local leaders noted.
Representative Jude Acidre, chair of the House committee on higher and technical education, raised these concerns during a recent plenary session. He cited data from the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) for the academic years 2021 to 2022, revealing a 39 percent attrition rate nationwide.
Regional Disparities Worsen the Situation
Acidre explained that certain regions suffer from even higher dropout rates. In the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), an alarming 93.4 percent of students fail to graduate. Central Visayas (Region 7) sees a 60.7 percent dropout rate, while Zamboanga Peninsula (Region 9) and the Cordillera Administrative Region report 59.5 percent and 54.9 percent, respectively.
These figures starkly contrast with countries like Australia and the United States, which posted dropout rates of 24 percent and 23.9 percent in 2022, officials reported.
Employment Pressures Drive Many to Leave School
A study by the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) sheds light on the reasons behind this dropout crisis. It found that 44 percent of students who left their studies prioritized employment over continuing education. Community members observed that the number of students balancing part-time jobs has tripled in recent years.
“Poverty pushes many of our youth into that painful choice between continuing their education and helping their families put food on the table,” Acidre emphasized. This reality also suggests that colleges and universities may not be offering flexible pathways to accommodate the needs of working students today.
Lack of Engagement and Literacy Challenges
Lack of engagement accounts for roughly 25 percent of college dropouts, sources said. This issue may be linked to a deeper concern: nearly 21.2 percent of Filipino youth aged 15-24 are not functionally literate, according to the 2024 Functional Literacy, Education and Mass Media Survey.
The lack of personal interest in pursuing higher education has increased, with many young people disengaged from academic life. This disengagement contributes significantly to the dropout problem, local leaders noted.
Financial Difficulties Remain a Barrier
Financial hardship still plays a role in 20 percent of dropout cases. Thanks to Republic Act No. 10931, which provides free tuition and other fee exemptions, fewer students now cite financial issues as a reason for leaving school. Between 2014 and 2022, the proportion of youth citing financial concerns decreased by 5.7 percent.
However, other barriers have grown. During the same period, those reporting a lack of personal interest in higher education rose by 10.28 percent, while those leaving school to seek employment increased by 12.59 percent, officials reported.
Legislative Efforts to Modernize Education
Rep. Acidre revealed that modernizing the charters of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) is a top priority in the ongoing education reform agenda. Updating Republic Acts 7722 and 7796 aims to address current challenges and improve higher education quality.
His comprehensive 10-point legislative agenda also includes measures to promote equity for disadvantaged students, advance digital transformation, introduce micro-credentials, strengthen quality assurance, build industry linkages, enhance faculty development and research capacity, foster public-private partnerships, and improve student welfare.
These reforms seek to reduce dropout rates and better support Filipino college students amid evolving educational and economic demands.
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