PASSING LANES

The ever-rising cost of education
Jorge Pawid

This past week saw many parents accompanying their children and filling up registration forms in various schools around the country. College students also returned to their respective schools to enroll for this first semester. Several had to endure long lines to register, pay at the cashier and get their class cards.

Lucky are these children and youth who will be joining thousands of others on school opening day. Scholars or not, they are afforded the opportunity to pursue an education.

While others are hoping for late enrolment until their parents can scrounge up some cash for their kids to catch up with school opening. At least, they will have caught the last bus for a part of their education this school year or semester.

Parents, am sure, would be so relieved that their children have been enrolled, but would look ahead to where the next funds for books, school supplies, transportation and lodging (for those away from home) would come from. Other parents may have taken care of that but they too are already starting to think of where the next installment for tuition and rent will come from.

Some fresh college graduates, whose parents could afford to send them to school this time for another course, are luckier. Because of the long lines jockeying to full up vacant employment spots, these lucky students try their luck enrolling in second courses offering better opportunities for employment here or abroad.

But could you imagine how low-income earners could be sending two or three children to college at the same time? Maybe either of the parents would have to take on two jobs while the other would have to resort to other income generation ventures like sales if only to augment their respective incomes.

Prevalent among many office workers are the sale of clothing – underwear, men’s, women’s and children’s apparel during breaktime in offices. Sometimes, after office hours, they would knock on friends’ homes to sell other wares (Tupperware, cookware, books, etc.)

All these for the sake of making legal extra income just to meet the demands of the education of their children. Education that would mean a better future for the kids and a more comfortable life in retirement.

How about the poor low-wage earner -- those living a hand-to-mouth existence with children going to school? How do you think would they work their bones extra hard just to add to their meager daily earnings that most of the time are barely enough to make both ends meet.

The despondent would have resorted to easier means: stealing, prostitution or a life of crime. All for what? Just to make both ends meet.

Even parents of so-called scholars are not spared the burden of making their eyebrows meet to look for ways to fund the cost of school supplies, uniforms and transportation. For some, add their board and lodging expenses and miscellaneous fees.

It’s another story for working students. Their parents worry less in shouldering part of the needs of their schooling. Actually, working students are better off. Aside from the good training they get, they are also on the priority list of many employers looking for fresh graduates with some office experience. Their work ethic has been molded and employers like to have this kind in their labor force.

That is how hard life is becoming. There should be more reforms in programs where poor but deserving students are given priority support by government for education.