Through an online petition and other online actions, students from Holy Angel University (HAU) aired their concerns over the school’s decision to continue classes despite the COVID-19 pandemic.
In their attempt to make the HAU administrators listen to their calls, Angelites formally released their online petition through the HAU Speak Now alliance, on Saturday. The petition already gathered almost 7,000 signatures from students, teachers, and parents.
The said petition is in alliance with The Angelite, the university student publication of HAU, and Anakbayan HAU.
Students of HAU also appealed to rally on Twitter with the hashtag #HAUyokoNa which later on trended at the second spot with almost 12,000 tweets last April 24.
The said petition contains the seven-student demands of Angelites for the coming school year 2020-2021.
“The whopping number of demands from the students manifest students’ incapability to shoulder finances during this pandemic,” said HAU Speak Now in a statement.
In the seven-point demands of HAU Speak Now, the students are pleading to the university to move the opening of classes in accordance to the extended Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) in Luzon.
In an online post on HAU’s official Facebook page, it is stated that the university is planning to start academic year 2020-2021 on July 15.
Angelites are also asking the HAU administration to stop the implementation of online learning if the university has no plans to resolve students’ problems with internet connection and finance.
Recently, students from different schools such as University of the Philippines, University of Sto. Tomas, and Bulacan State University, also call to their administrators to halt online classes citing ineffectiveness of online learning and students’ lack of resources.
Everyone is facing the effects of the pandemic right now — financially, morally, mentally, emotionally, and physically. Thus, forcing an unprepared online curriculum would add another stress to the students,” said National Union of Students of the Philippines Deputy Secretary General Jandeil Roperos.
Meanwhile, Angelites also demand for a freeze to their tuition and other school fees. They claimed, “this is the most compassionate move HAU can offer to its students in this time of crisis.”
This demand came after HAU decided to continue its 6% tuition and 22% other school fees hike despite protests from students. The said fees hike is already at its sixth consecutive year.
With this, the students also ask for a clear and definite breakdown of their school fees for the upcoming academic year.
In addition, they are requesting for the deduction of miscellaneous fees since there are services that would not be utilized such as electricity, water, laboratory services, among others shall the online learning be pushed.
A demand to ensure the salary of teachers and non-teaching personnel is also included in the petition. According to HAU Speak Now, proper compensation must be given to their teachers and non-teaching personnel despite implementation of the ECQ.
HAU Speak Now also added that teachers and non-teaching personnel also have to sustain their needs.
“Strict implementation of labor rights must be secured in times such as this and ensure that the health crisis will not be used as an excuse to disregard rights of the people,” added HAU Speak Now.
Lastly, they also demand for retraction of all financial obligations of summer term students. They also noted that “discounts shall be given to students especially now that workers were affected by the lockdown and the no work, no pay scheme of their companies.”
The said petition will be submitted to their school administrators. They will also send their demands to the regional office of Commission on Higher Education. / Jaypee Cabral
(Jaypee Cabral was former Editor-in-Chief of The Angelite. He is also currently the spokesperson of the Anakbayan Central Luzon — Editor)