Business education tops 2007-2008 enrollment
Business Education courses still top rank among the tertiary courses in Western Visayas, getting 23 percent or 43,930 of the 191,000 college students who enrolled this Academic Year (AY) 2007-2008.
Dr. Rex Casiple, OIC Chief Education Program Specialist of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), said Business Education courses also got the highest rank in enrollment figures last year. This is followed by Medical Related courses with 20 percent or 38,200 and by Teacher Education, with 15 percent or 28,650.
Other areas of discipline which are included in the top five are Information Technology Education with 15,280 or 8 percent, and Maritime Education with 13,370 or 7 percent.
Dr. Casiple said these top five are included in CHED's top priority courses in the region which has consistently garnered relatively high enrolment rates.
He added, however that CHED's other priority courses but ironically got low enrollment included Agriculture and Fisheries (4%) and Engineering Technology (6%).
"It is an irony that Western Visayas being agricultural and fishery areas, cannot entice its students to take up related courses, which when they do, will ultimately enhance these potentials of the region," Casiple said.
He also said that with more professionals and experts in the field of agriculture and fishery coming from the region, development along these areas would be greatly enhanced.
Meanwhile, CHED records also showed that Iloilo City colleges and universities have the highest total enrolment, followed by Bacolod City, then Iloilo province and Negros Occidental Schools.
CHED noted a graduation rate of 35 percent for those who entered college five years ago.
(CHED/PIA/ESS)