Dropping out, burnout among PH working students’ top concerns

MANILA, Philippines — Nearly half of working students in the Philippines have seriously considered quitting school because of work or personal pressures, according to a new survey by Mapua Malayan Digital College (MMDC). 

In the first edition of its State of the Working Student report, the MMDC found that 45.2 percent of respondents had considered dropping out, placing quitting school as among the main concerns faced by working students alongside sleep deprivation and burnout.

More than half, or 56.1 percent, said they sleep five hours or less a night, with burnout also being widespread, as 58.1 percent said they feel overwhelmed, while 49.7 percent reported emotional and mental exhaustion.

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The MMDC said these pressures reflect the “dual-full-time” reality many Filipino working students face.

More than 80 percent of respondents held full-time jobs while pursuing a degree, while another 43.9 percent were carrying a full academic load on top of a 40-hour work week. This made time the top academic barrier, as cited by 52.9 percent of those surveyed. 

Systems problem

“The challenges working students face are not the result of poor choices, weak discipline, or lack of drive,” said Dennis Tablante, MMDC executive director. “They are the predictable output of systems—academic, workplace and policy.”

“It isn’t a working students problem, it is a systems problem,” Tablante added.

The report said the strain on Filipino working students extends beyond work and school.

It found that 45.2 percent worked on-site, adding commuting time to already tight schedules. Another 41.3 percent had caregiving duties for children, elderly relatives or siblings, while 77.4 percent said they financially support other people. 

“Disruption to their work or studies affects not only the individual but their immediate support systems, elevating the struggle from an education issue to a broader socioeconomic and sociopolitical concern,” the MMDC said.

Still, the report showed that working students do not see themselves simply as overburdened.

Some 74.8 percent said they are proud of balancing work and school, while another 78.7 percent said they understand the skills expected in their industry. 

Despite the pressures, 69 percent cited personal growth as a reason for continuing. Even without financial need, 58.7 percent said they would still choose to work and study.

Underreporting exhaustion

The MMDC said these figures may point to a tendency among working students to downplay their own distress.

“This paradox or duality is a defining psychological characteristic of working students, which can lead them to dismiss or underreport exhaustion that requires institutional or clinical attention,” the report noted.

The survey was conducted from Feb. 18 to March 17 and released as part of MMDC’s observance of National Working Students Day on March 21.

Data from the Commission on Higher Education showed that about 216,000 Filipino college students were juggling work and education in 2022, equivalent to about 8 percent of the total college population. /cb