Wednesday, January 7. 2009

Parents hit ZSCMST new training policy

WHY UNDERGO IN MANILA, WHEN IT’S AVAILABLE HERE?

by Al Alhabshi

The parents of students of the Zamboanga State College of Marines Science and Technology (ZSCMST) have questioned the sudden move of the school requiring their children to undergo certain training in Manila which can be done right here in Zamboanga City.

The parents, who requested not to be identified for the safety of their children, said the school, which is now under the watch of Officer-In-Charge Dr. Milabel Nalzario, has ordered their children taking up Bachelor of Science in Marine Transportation and Bachelors of Science in Marine Engineering to obtain their Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) training this year in a center in Manila.
“The school is now killing us parents. Imagine we will spend more than thirteen thousand in sending our kids to Manila for their SOLAS training. Why do our kids have to obtain their training in Manila when in fact we have the same training here in Zamboanga and it will only cost us more than six thousand,” a parent lamented.
The SOLAS training is a requirement in the issuance of Seaman’s book. The parents said for four years already the BSMT and BSME students of the government-owned state college use to undertake their SOLAS training at the Zamboanga Maritime College here in Zamboanga located in Ayala.
“We have asked why but no one offered us an explanation,” Another parent said.
The parents said all those who underwent training at the Zamboanga Maritime College have met no problem and neither their training was questioned.
They said the only training center here in Zamboanga is an International Standard Organization (ISO) accredited.
“This is exactly what puzzles us parents. Why is the school now making this training difficult and burdensome for us parents and our kids,” another parent remarked
The parents said the unreasonable and illogical move of the school have raised suspicions of something irregular.
“With this move, we can not avoid to think that there is something anomalous going on,” an irate parent said.
As this developed, the parents are calling on the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) to investigate the matter.
“How we wish the CHED will get into this controversy in our favor. We can not afford to have our kids trained in Manila. Where will we get that big amount? This is no joke,” the parents said. — Al Alhabshi