MANILA, Philippines — Student councils from universities in Baguio City in a joint letter on Saturday appealed to Mayor Benjamin Magalong, Rep. Mark Go, and Sangguniang Kabataan Federation president Levy Lloyd Orcales for a city-wide academic break.
This came after Saint Louis University (SLU) students held a candle-lighting protest calling on school officials to let them have a break from online classes and academic requirements.
Student leaders from SLU, the University of Baguio, the University of Cordilleras, the University of the Philippines Baguio, and the National Union of the Student of the Philippines Cordillera cited the ongoing pandemic and the onslaught of Severe Tropical Storm Maring in Northern Luzon as having been detrimental to the students’ lives.
The student councils said there were also confirmed cases of suicide because of pressure and stress from their studies while some alleged cases were still under investigation.
“Regardless of the number, two youths giving up their precious lives because of academic pressure is still alarming to our institutions and the whole community,” the student leaders said.
The group suggested having an academic break with no synchronous and asynchronous classes from Nov. 12 to Nov. 17, adding that Sunday is the only day students can rest but “due to piled-up academic requirements, it compromises their physical and mental health.”
“The students should never have to beg for rest. Despite the endless calls for academic breaks, the daily calls on social media continuously ignored, numerous letters and emails from student councils, some universities remain silent in addressing the issue,” the document read.
“We can’t afford to lose more lives just to boost our institution’s academic achievements,” it added.
According to the Sangguniang Panlungsod ng Baguio, Orcales said he would draft a proposal adopting the student councils’ request.
In a statement, the SLU administration said that “unverified information” on alleged cases of self-harm “quickly escalated” the student body’s demand for an academic break.