PHILIPPINES

Poll shows 98% favour free university tuition – Senator
Ninety-eight percent of Filipinos surveyed by Pulse Asia are in favour of free tuition for students in public universities, mainly because it produces more graduates, writes Maila Ager for Inquirer.net.The survey, commissioned by Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, was conducted from 10 to 14 September among 1,200 adult respondents. A copy of the poll released to the media on Tuesday 24 October showed that support for this free tuition for students extends across all economic classes: 99% in Classes ABC, 97% in Class D, and 100% in Class E, as well as across geographic regions such as the National Capital Region at 98%, Balance Luzon at 96%, Visayas at 99% and Mindanao at 100%.
When asked why they support free college tuition, 51% of the respondents said that it results in more graduates – 52% belong to Classes D and E, while 45% belong to Classes ABC. “Of the 1% who are not in favour of free tuition in public universities, nearly half expressed concerns about the quality of education, while another 47% mentioned the issue of underfunding in public universities,” Gatchalian pointed out in a statement.
Full report on the Inquirer.net site