A GROUP of lawmakers is seeking an inquiry into the death of UST Physical Therapy (PT) senior Junver Toledo, citing the need to mitigate an environment where students are allegedly burdened by “outcomes-based” standards.
Kabataan partylist Rep. Raoul Manuel, Gabriela Women’s Party Rep. Arlene Brosas and ACT-Teachers partylist Rep. France Castro filed House Resolution No. 2305 on Tuesday, June 3, to denounce what they described as the “uncritical” emphasis on quantitative standards in the Philippine education system.
“[Outcomes-based education], as currently implemented not only on UST, but also in most if not all academic institutions nationwide, often prioritizes grades and quantitative metrics over the holistic learning, mental health, and overall well-being of students, without due consideration for the heavy academic workload and the specific challenges faced by individual learners,” the resolution read.
“[T]he uncritical emphasis on quantitative standards under [outcomes-based education], which may also burden teachers in its implementation, signifies deeper systemic issues within the national education framework that require urgent and comprehensive reform to genuinely serve the interests of the Filipino people,” it added.
Junver, a 22-year-old College of Rehabilitation Sciences (CRS) student, took his own life on May 17 after failing a subject for the second time. Since he was supposed to graduate this June, he reportedly pleaded for additional projects to pass the course but his request was rejected.
In a privilege speech during a plenary session on Monday, June 2, Manuel denounced what he described as “education ills” that glorify a system that prioritizes grades and metrics over students’ struggles.
“Under this kind of policy, grades and metrics are glorified without considering the particular struggles of students and even of teachers who are expected to implement the standards passed down to them. These are symptoms of a long-term ills in education that needs a cure,” Manuel said in Filipino.
“One death is one too many. The plight of Junver and how he ended up with his decision is a reminder to all of us to always ask for what and for whom the education system being implemented is. It’s time for us to completely overhaul how we see education and the time for us to act is now,” he added.
Manuel called for a holistic rather than an outcomes-based approach to learning to balance “academic rigor with the necessary compassion and understanding” for students.
“This will help the chamber ensure that we are implementing policies that guide schools to a system of education that truly serves our citizens,” the lawmaker said.
While students should be trained to be “academically excellent,” Manuel said their well-being should not be sacrificed by learning conditions.
“What happened is a living nightmare. This incident should be a strong wake-up call for the UST administration to review its academic standards, the metrics used, its grading system and the workload given to students,” he told The Flame.
Marwin Pascua, Junver’s brother-in-law, has assailed UST for its alleged lack of initiative and genuine concern, dismissing its condolences to the late student’s family as a mere “damage control” effort.
“Have some compassion. Take accountability. You’re making it sound like a ‘you’ problem instead of owning [up] to it, to your faculty’s incompetence. I feel no sympathy at all from your official statement, it’s all just damage control. Stop…the lies (to) protect the name of your institution if you ever truly cared about your students,” Pascua said in a comment to the University’s statement posted on Facebook.
The UST Faculty Union has called on Thomasians not to blame teachers for Junver’s death and to engage in collaboration and open dialogue with other stakeholders of the University.
The UST Central Student Council has urged the CRS administration to be transparent on its actions on Junver’s death. It has also pushed for a systemic change in academic policies to rid students of “imbalance and overwhelming pressure.”
‘Transparent’ probe, apology sought
In a letter sent to Panday Sining UST president Raven Racelis, Junver’s sister, Olive Toledo, sought a “full and transparent investigation” into her brother’s situation prior to his death and the University’s supposed failure to act on it.
She also demanded disclosure of all internal reports, complaints or communications related to Junver’s case, a commitment to mental health support and “appropriate disciplinary action against staff or faculty who may have been negligent or complicit.”
According to Olive, UST had failed to address prior complaints by her brother and had “added insult” to the incident by “denying both accountability and empathy.”
“These failures represent not only a breach of moral responsibility, but potentially legal and ethical violations of student care standards. We hold the University of Santo Tomas accountable for fostering a system where such negligence could occur without intervention or proper redress,” Olive said.
“We loved our brother. He trusted the institution. UST failed him. We demand justice not just for him but for every student who continues to walk the halls, unaware that their cries for help might also go unanswered,” she added. F — Rovy Jilyn Fraginal with reports from Erwin James Gianan and Christian Querol
