UNIVERSITY of Santo Tomas students expressed dismay over the two-day academic break the school will implement next week, saying school officials did not live up to its promise to formulate long-term solutions for the community.

On Thursday, the university announced it will implement a two-day break on September 20 and 21, during which all classes and office work will be suspended.

But the Central Student Council said the two-day break is insufficient given the various circumstances faced by learners amid the pandemic.

“The two-day break is not enough given the situation, and we must all strive to establish a long-term solution for our community,” CSC President Krizia Bricio said.

CSC Vice President Gerald De La Cruz, on the other hand, urged school administrators to have a dialogue with them in order to address the issues and concerns of the students.

“The UST Administration promised the CSC EB and CB to work together to find and establish the long-term solution for our problems and concerns. We look forward to the student-admin dialogue and the inclusion of different university sectors to craft such a solution,” De la Cruz said.

UST Secretary General Fr. Louie Coronel, however, clarified the duration of the break was chosen with equal regard for both our stakeholders’ needs and the needs of the institution.

“Though considerably short, we hope that such academic break may become grace-filled moments to breathe, recuperate and attend to our health and personal needs, and those of our families,” Coronel said.

He also encouraged students who tested positive for Covid19 to seek medical care at the UST Health Service through the Thomasian Online Medical Services and Support or ThoMedSS platform.

For those experiencing a ‘strain on their mental health’,  the official noted the school’s guidance counselors and clinical psychologists would be ready to provide assistance.

“The University shall afford you the medical help you need, especially at this time. If your health conditions require you to stop for a while in order to recover, be assured that you will be given the consideration to make your work arrangement more flexible,” Coronel said.