The Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) has slammed the government's preoccupation with international education rankings instead of prioritizing measures to advance the country's industrialization through higher education institutions.
According to ACT, President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos, Jr.'s expression of disappointment over the absence of Philippine universities in the Top 100 of the 2024 Asia University Rankings by the Times Higher Education (THE) reflects a misguided focus on Western-centric standards imposed on institutions in countries like the Philippines.
During the recent National Higher Education Summit, Marcos urged a reevaluation of strategies to reverse the trend of Philippine universities not making it to the Top 100.
This year, no Philippine university secured a spot in the Top 100, marking a decline from Ateneo de Manila University's (ADMU) previous position as the sole Philippine representative.
ADMU, previously ranked 84th in Asia, slipped to the 401-500 bracket this year, emphasizing a significant drop in rankings.
This setback echoes the 2022 scenario when the University of the Philippines plummeted from 84th to 129th place in THE's rankings.
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