A Critical Study of the Factors Affecting the Conditions of Tertiary Education in the City of Cotabato

Abstract

Education plays a very crucial role in human development. It contributes to the kind of human capital that a country would have. The higher education system in the Philippines, however, has seemingly failed for the past several years to come up to the national expectations of providing quality and accessible education and training that would match the requirements of a developing economy. Tertiary education is an issue of concern and is an important priority in the public agenda of Cotabato City. In recent years, there has been an exodus of students from Cotabato City in pursuit of higher learning. This study aims to evaluate the present condition of tertiary education in the city which includes assessing critical factors that may have affected the quality' of educational services offered by the higher education institutions in the city. It includes the student population, degree program offerings, academic profile of teachers, tuition fees, school budget, the performance in the licensure examinations, as well as the city's economic and peace and order situation. It hopes to present significant findings that would serve as useful inputs to various stakeholders on how to better improve the quality of tertiary education in the city particularly on its relevance in meeting emerging development challenges.