Examining the Upcat

Congratulations to the passers of the Upcat (University of the Philippines College Admission Test), their proud parents and equally proud teachers. Having met some of our very bright senior high school students in the course of my research work, I feel optimistic about our country’s future, but I also worry because some are already talking about going abroad, citing our country’s problems. The challenge for us in the academe is to make sure that critical thinking leads not to disillusionment but to hope — and that our young people will be inspired to take part in nation-building.

Looking beyond individuals, however — and without diminishing their accomplishment — it is also timely to consider the making of an Upcat passer, and what it reveals of our educational system.

In the first place, not counting science high schools and laboratory schools, most Upcat passers come from private schools. Parking space is now a problem in UP campuses, speaking of the increasing affluence of our students — and raising questions of inequity made more salient by the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act (Republic Act No. 10931), which guarantees free tuition to all the passers, rich or poor.

The facile answer to this disparity is that there’s still a big difference in the quality of education, despite our teachers’ best efforts. Generally speaking, private schools have a lower teacher-to-student ratio and better facilities, while many public high schools make do with compressed schedules and inflated class sizes. Moreover, as private schools view Upcat passing rates as a boost to their prestige and marketability, many of them micromanage their students’ applications by internally screening them and organizing in-house reviews.

Beyond the difference between schools, affluent students have access to resources and opportunities that boost their chances of passing the Upcat—from private tutorials to books and e-learning devices. Promising to improve students’ “testmanship,” review centers may also be a decisive factor—but only for those who can afford to pay several thousands for a two-week course.

Moving further back in the making of an Upcat passer, we should also consider their entire upbringing, in light of the growing recognition that the first 1,000 days of life are crucial for mental development, and that childhood nutrition can affect both short-  and long-term academic performance. Once more, these factors favor those who have had more resources throughout their lives.

Of course, there are young people who, by sheer talent and hard work, are able to pass entrance exams against all odds. But they are the exceptions, not the rule. The reality is that because of the examinees’ divergent backgrounds, even before the Upcat is taken, much of the result is already known.

To its credit, UP has made attempts to improve its admissions process; aside from the raw Upcat results, students’ scholastic performance and socioeconomic backgrounds are factored in as a form of affirmative action. But this is necessarily a work in progress. One concern I’ve heard from educators, for instance, is that the Upcat may favor students who have taken a particular track (e.g. STEM, or science, technology, engineering and mathematics). Others are also arguing that the willingness to serve the country must be considered for the future “Iskolar ng Bayan,” especially in light of RA 10931.

UP’s own initiatives, moreover, must be matched by efforts to radically improve the educational system at all levels. I already referenced the poor state of our primary and secondary schools, but we must also pay attention to the tertiary level. We have state universities and colleges all over the country with talented faculty, but they need more support if we are to remove the need for many students to require—or aspire for—a UP education.

Finally, we need to create an enabling environment for children—regardless of their socioeconomic and geographic marginality—to learn meaningfully and think critically. Needless to say, this will entail dealing with a broad range of social issues, but isn’t educational inequity but a reflection of our society? Only by investing more in our children’s health, education, safety and well-being can we realize a future where there is equity and diversity among those who pass the Upcat — and still plenty of opportunities for those who don’t.

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