CHED, DILG forge pact on moratorium on setting up of new universities, colleges

The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) forged an agreement with the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) for a moratorium on the establishment of new universities and colleges by local government units.

CHED chairman Emmanuel Angeles said the agreement was signed with DILG Secretary Ronaldo Puno to prohibit local government units from opening colleges and universities.

Angeles pointed out the poor quality of education provided by some local universities and colleges (LUCs).

“We have to put a stop to this. We need to make sure that new schools being put up are able to give quality education,” Angeles said.

Angeles said there has been an unprecedented increase in the number of LUCs established all over the country by local governments that created their own higher education institutions through the issuance of city or municipal resolutions or provincial board resolutions.

But the quality of education offered in many of these LUCs left much to be desired.

He said CHED has recently discovered that one LUC was even located atop a public market and the college president was a close relative of the top local executive.

Angeles stressed that education should be better left by politicians to educators.

With the moratorium imposed, CHED will attempt to help the more than 70 LUCs that have been established to raise the quality of their education, he said. –- Rainier Allan Ronda, Philippine Star