Political climate and student activism in selected private tertiary institutions in Baguio City, 1997-1998

Abstract

The study evaluated the influence of political climate on student leaders' activism among selected private tertiary institutions in Baguio City for the school year 1997-1998. It analyzed the degree of influence and difference of degree of influence of the factors of political climate namely, campus issues or problems, community issues or problems and ideology of student movements. It likewise investigated the extent of achievement of the aims of student activism in promoting socio-political consciousness, promoting better interpersonal relations between teachers and students; reconciling administrative policies and student demands; introducing reforms in the institution; and furthering community involvement. The descriptive-evaluative method was utilized using the descriptive-survey technique. 1. Political climate was very influential on student leaders' activism in selected private tertiary institutions in Baguio City for the academic year 1997-1998. 2. The student leader activists significantly achieved in the promotion of socio-political consciousness, reconciliation of administrative policies and student demands, introduction of reforms in the institution and furtherance of community involvement. 3. There is a significant difference of the factors of political climate only in terms of quantitative value. 1. Ideology is very influential on student leaders' activism among selected private tertiary institutions in Baguio City for the school year 1997-1998. 2. Student leader activists are more focused in the promotion of socio-political consciousness and furtherance of community involvement. 3. Ideology is significantly higher than the other factors of political climate. 1. The administration to pay careful attention to politics and decision-making and interact with student leader activists through serious minded and intellectual dialogues without being too quick in disregarding their emotional stances. 2. The faculty to unceaselessly ideologize students on the rule of law which is in layman's language, is the rule of fair play. 3. The student leaders to: a. promote socio-political consciousness to expose the illnesses of the society in search for remedies. b. promote better interpersonal relations between teachers and students with due consideration of the proper representatives of the educational institution to whom the educator sought employment. c. reconcile administrative policies and student demands by exhausting all reasonable and lawful means with the objective of entering to an agreement with school administrators which will be beneficial.to the institution as a whole. d. introduce reforms in the institution always with the backings or support of the elders within the institution and not with the proddings of other interest groups in the community. e. further community involvement by eyeing at more attentively on the issues or problems within the locality before undertaking regional or national issues or problems. f. systematize the filing of records of the ideologically oriented student movements and student councils for assessment of performances after an academic year. g. broaden the definition of campus repression to include not only suppression of students' basic rights by the school administration but also acts of prevention by student leader activists in the exercise of fundamental rights of non-striking students to education, due process and academic freedom. 4. The students not to be blinded by "false" activists hiding under the cloak of "personal interests". 5. The future researches on: a. Document analysis of ideologically oriented movements. b. Alliances of student movements with other support groups. c. Comparative study on student activism between state-owned and private (sectarian and non-sectarian) tertiary institutions. d. Repetition of the study using both student leaders and followers as respondents with the same variables. e. Qualitative research that would focus on the behavioral aspect of student activists. f. Analysis of the profile of student leader activists based on age, number of years as an activist, number of years as a student, organizational rank and academic affiliations.