Position Paper
Motion: “Imposing Educational Qualifications for Aspiring Candidates”
Party: Opposition Party
First and foremost, we’d like to extend our sincerest gratitude to you, Mr. Chair, for
having us here, as we beg to differ, and that we strongly oppose to the motion of Imposing
Educational Qualifications for Aspiring Candidates. The issue, does not limit to the fact that it
depends on how high the educational qualification is, it must have also include how suitable your
college degree is, to be qualified as a candidate. Just because you have attained a college degree,
you have what it takes to be a responsible politician? Say, if I had a degree in arts, would I have
lasted equipped with only knowledge about the arts? Politics, we believe, is not an art, it is a
responsibility, not because we should be held accountable for our choices, but rather a duty to
serve the people, as a citizen of a country, and that should not be limited to higher educational
attainment. Before we humbly present to you what more of we argue and propose, we’d like to
quote what your prime minister has stated on the fact that;
- [Likely] If government argument 1, then; If a good educational background is all that
there is in order to prove their professionalism, hence an ingredient to a good decision, I
oppose to the idea. As a Filipino under a country ranked 7th of the corruption perception
index in Asia on the year 2021, this, I believe, clearly does not showcase political
professionalism that we hoped in a good leader, am I right? I do not want to generalize,
but rather this situation is not the very least professional, rather taking their educational
superiority for granted, an advantage, but not in a good way. Need I remind you that we
once had a generation, where the Philippines was under a regime of economic prosperity.
The Marcos administration of 1965 was undeniably, and unfortunately, an ‘era’ deemed
by publications I quote “stellar on many fronts” in terms of economic standards. The
former president was a man of exceptional educational background, but not long after
two years of tasting power trusted to him by the less intelligent Filipino citizens, where
did that led to? A bad and dishonorable decision, such as the Martial Law. Corruption.
Corruption is defined as a dishonest, fraudulent conduct by those in power, typically
involving bribery. It is the abuse of power entrusted to these officials for private gain, for
personal interests. Democracy put these people there, and educationism is in fact, a thing!
Just because a candidate has a praiseworthy educational attainment, it does not mean
they’re solutions to every problem.
What I’d like to point out with this is that so what if these highly educated officials, or
aspiring candidates can in fact eradicate corruption in a country, when they’re in fact the
corruptors themselves? Again, not to generalize, but it does makes sense to me.
According to a study, entitled The Curse of Knowledge? Education, Corruption, and
Politics, the highly educated are more likely to be actively involved in the matter of
politics. Hence we come across the topic of political interest. I came across an article
where it was stated that “One of the most important factors influencing citizens to
participate actively in campaigns in the Americas is education, according to a survey
conducted by Vanderbilt University.”. So okay, the highly educated people are basically
self-proclaimed politicians. They must’ve been interested for an activist cause, a crisis-
averting advocacy. But this could also mean that, when a person is greatly educated, they
can have the tendency to believe that the fruit of their knowledge, is the right way. Their
decisions, no matter how much it cost is in fact, a good decision, and that it may, if they
advocate it for a good cause, is for a greater tomorrow. But that is not always the case.
While they can prove themselves capable of having good judgement, the presence of
personal interest is unavoidable, this was already proven by the blatant blasphemy of the
actions imposed by the Marcos regime, leading to a case of educational inferiority where
they treat the lesser educated as people who do not understand what it means to manage a
government. To put it simply, they think we are stupid. But I say, although these people
do not pride a college degree, they are well-aware of what makes a decision good, and
what makes a politician’s choices bad. We are, at the very least, not stupid.
Predictions:
1 Government Party may argue how highly educated officials’ educational knowledge
greatly backs up and impacts a good decision.
2 They may argue that a good educational background proves their professionalism.
3 An educated official can eradicate the country’s corruption.
4 The education they have received can alter the failing economy.
5 This education they so claimed is for the benefit of the citizens.
