THE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM: CHALLENGES NOW AND BEYOND

 

Educational system has been challenged throughout the decades, from the American period to the Philippine Republic and from Basic Education Curriculum to Restructured Curriculum and presently, with the most controversial and yet not new to the western and eastern worlds, the K to 12 Curriculum.

The challenge of education is not only with the obvious: the addendum of two more years in the basic education of ten. It is not only with the current state of the Philippine Education. It is not only with the lack or absence of instructional materials, school supplies, tools and equipment needed in gardens, sports and in school in general, school physical facilities as to buildings of classrooms, computer laboratories, science laboratories and TVL workshop rooms, principal’s office, faculty rooms, conference rooms, student’s study area, student’s lockers, medical clinics, teenage center, learning resource centers, canteens and food centers, comfort rooms and toilets, hand washing facilities, clean  and potable source of water, and low maintenance and other operating expenses budget,  or the lack or absence of classroom teachers,  increasing number of student drop outs, failures or with conditional record. It goes beyond what is lacking or absent of such. The realities presented in schools are worsening as school years go by with the increasing number of students per class and the absence of complete set of subject teachers per section. These usually result to increasing incidence of misbehavior, defiance, bullying and violence of students inside and outside of schools, increasing number of students who consume alcoholic drinks, smoke cigarettes, marijuana and electronic vape, and even succumb to drug use and abuse, and lead to increasing number of those who engage in pre-marital sex  thereby, increasing number of teenage pregnancies and early marriages, of which obviously must be done under the legal age and within the sanctity of marriage or civil ceremony.

Nowadays, there is easy access in viewing photos and videos that display immoral and indecent behavior or activities. There is insensible and insensitive sharing of shameful photos, videos and similar materials that earn numerous out of bounds commentaries and infamous controversies. There is a laxity on and gaps between the implementations of Philippine laws, local ordinances and the policies of the Department of Education in both public and private schools and the strict compliance of citizens.  As such, minors are even allowed by some computer shops to utilize their facility during school hours and at night time and by some stores for minors to buy and possess prohibited substances such as cigarettes and alcoholic drinks even with the local legislation and the school’s No Smoking Zone policy . In secondary schools, it is easy to provoke a fight or engage in fights with simple unintentional pushing, remarks or tiger looks. It is even easier to hear remarks of foul language and mentioning of heinous crimes in just a plain fight of toys, school materials and food by elementary school children.

What more when adults are engaged in a fight or in an argument about basketball games or a boxing match or simply in a transportation waiting line?

Moreover, the continuous school, home and community violence despite the strict implementations of Anti Bullying Act, Peace Zone policy, Child Protection policy in schools and Anti- Violence Act on women and children, in general.  These usually lead to public and online shaming, debilitating effects, and sadly to filing of legal cases, physical injuries, and horrendous death.

Endless and heated discussions, exchange of hateful remarks, controversial questions and doubts, and foul opinions and comments, leave people either pained or embarrassed, hateful or vindictive, mad or berserk and what make human beings out of this? Insensitive fools? Inhumane perhaps?

Even so called white and pink-collared professionals, noble workers and leaders are not an exemption to the use of derogatory language and negative actuations. What makes it sad, is the power of media, print and broadcast and the addition of the power of social media now, are becoming the vessels of fights not friendships, the emissary of wars not peace, the media of hatred not love, and the reasons for despair instead of hope.

What is happening to the world? Are we in our dark days? Are we in a revolution? Have we gone mad?  Are we like wild animals acting as such? These and that, are what the kind-hearted minority usually say or remark.

And so the challenges of education and beyond, lie in the hands, minds, hearts and souls of the schools… to the educational leaders as well as to the classroom teachers and non-teaching personnel. They must be good souls, earth angels and modern heroes, as what people usually call them. They must have genuine hearts, generous pockets, good conduct, brilliant wisdom, keen eyes, knowledgeable minds, and skillful hands. They must possess positive character and attitudes as to true humility, limitless patience, deep understanding and loving compassion for the weaknesses and flaws of their students and the low points and miseries in their lives, in order to fully embrace their students and treat them like their own and in the end, be a great influence to their present and future careers and lives. They must also think better, perform the best, work the hardest, love more, and pray the most.

And in order to the enhance work commitment, move forward and farther, and sustain the fire within among educators, who are responsible for another’s life, they must have these mantra:

I am a TEACHER! “not JUST!”

TITSER ako!  “walang LANG!”

I am a TEACHER! I do not just teach the basics of life but its complexities!

I am a TEACHER! I do not just teach how to feed but how to fish!

I am a TEACHER! What I say and act, greatly influence my student’s lives!

I am a living example of sacrifice- of love, hope, perseverance, patience, humility, peace, morality and stability.

I am a teacher, the youth’s future depends on me!

…. on my intelligence, skills, principles, convictions, wisdom, attitude and behavior.

I am a TEACHER, my great personality and capacity touch many souls!

I am a TEACHER and I affect eternity!

I am a TEACHER! I am most honored to be one!

I am a TEACHER! I am most proud to be ONE with DEPED!

 

Published and owned by:

NOREEN M. ESPENIDA-ABENIR
ASST. SCHOOL PRINCIPAL II (OPERATIONS AND LEARNER SUPPORT)
MNCHS
MASBATE CITY DIVISION