By NITZ ARANCON Correspondent MISAMIS Oriental Vice Gov. Jose Mari Pelaez has sharply criticized the Commission on Higher Education (Ched) for a new rule that would force pre-K-12 high school graduates who want to pursue their studies to return to senior high before they could proceed to college. Pelaez, chairman of the provincial board’s education committee, called the new Ched rule “unfair” and “anti-poor.” He said the rule would also apply to college dropouts. The Ched regulation, he said, would compel pre-K-12 high school graduates and college dropouts who would fail to pursue their formal education this year to go back to senior high next year. Pelaez said Ched failed to consider that poverty disrupted the studies of many of the pre-K-12 high school graduates and college dropouts. “Sala ba diay sa bata kon   mi-graduate siya sa high school  sa da-an nga curriculum, ug sayop ba diay sa college dropout kon dili siya makatungha sa opening sa klasi? Unsa-on kon walay iyang ikagasto?” Pelaez, a former education department official, said Ched should not impose the rule on pre-K-12 high school graduates. “Hulatan una nila sa Ched nga mahorot pag-graduate sa college kanang mi-graduate sa   high school sa da-ang curriculum  kay sa ilang i-implement kanang ilang bag-ong regulation nga unfair alang sa mga  karaang high school graduates,” Pelaez said.