Ifugao gov’t university to phase out lab high schools

By Marcelo B. Lihgawon

LAMUT, Ifugao-- School officials of the Ifugao State University here recently said laboratory high schools of the institution wou;ld soon be phased out due to lack of funds for their upkeep and to pay salaries of teachers.

            IFSU has three laboratory high schools located in the municipalities of Lagawe, Alfonso Lista and Lamut   where   thousands of students had enrolled the previous years.

           

According to Eva Marie Dugyon, chief of the information and assistance department, dialogues among stakeholders including students,   explained reasons for phasing out of laboratory high schools effective this school year.

            “IFSU’s appropriation for maintenance and other operating expenses continues to decline, thus affecting the university’s capacity to funding its high schools,” Dugyon said.

            She said with tri-focalization of the education sector wherein IFSU is covered by the Commission on Higher Education, funds for high schools were concentrated on the Department of Education.

            IFSU president Serafin Ngohayon said there were major constraints in operation of the three laboratory high schools.

            He said the university is spending an average of P10.5 million per year to support its three high schools.

            “An average of P3.5M per high school or a  P.9M per year level, two more years (senior high school under the K+12 program) would mean an additional spending of P1.8M for salaries and operating expenses for IFSU,” he added.

            Ngohayon said with all constraints, IFSU has to go through the painful process of phasing out its laboratory high school so as not to sacrifice higher education to support the operation of the high schools.