I was watching THE PHILIPPINE AGENDA, a show in GMA-7 last night and I couldn't help but be sad at the state of Education in the Philippines.
There is so much that needs to be done: new classrooms, books, training and compensation for the teachers. Our whole national budget is not enough to pay for what needs to be done in this country, as far as education is concerned.
The classrooms they showed in Masbate and Lanao were so dilapidated. And the classrooms in Manila were so crowded (120 students in one classroom) and they don't even have enough chairs and tables. For those who studied in Private Schools this situation is unheard of, but when you see it visually like that, it really doesn't make sense. Those classrooms and situations are not conducive to learning.
There are students and pupils who need to wake up at 3 am just to walk to the nearest school (at least 8 kilometers of walking). By the time they get to school they'd be so tired and unable to concentrate.
Some pupils in Manila have to work to help augment the family income and have allowance in order to go to school.
The teachers are paid so poorly, they need to take second jobs. Plus they teach a class of 120 children...how can they not have tonsil problems? The former USEC of DECS said that if we only invest training on public teachers in say a private school, we need about Php500million just to train 10% of the teachers for one day in a private school. And that's just training budget. It doesn't even include the budget needed for other things.
Education is particularly important, because it is a tool for the upliftment of the lives of many Filipinos. It affords them dignity with a kind of wealth that does not get used up.
There are so many charities that about handing out clothes, food, children's parties, etc. A lot of celebrities like Deither Ocampo and Ara Mina putting up their own foundations. I don't know what their foundations are about, but consider education. How about using that money to rehabilitate a classroom? Or buy books so that a class of 40 children will not share one book for the entire class.
I remember Oprah saying in one show on why she decided to put up a learning center in Africa, she was aghast when she found out that in some parts of the world, people needed to pay to go to school. For her, it was ridiculous! School should be free. Somebody please send that GMA-7 tape to Oprah! If she sees it. She'd panic!
I panicked. I certainly did. There is so much that needs to be done. How can you not take these elections seriously when you are exposed to how deep our social and economic problems are?
We need serious leaders. We need leaders that have heart. Not only that, we need leaders who have the brains and the hands, plus the will to really do something.
I heard the TV Show will be a series and every week, they'll feature another topic. This week was education. I don't know what next week will be.
I suggest we all watch the shows.
3 comments:
There's an adopt-a-school project that PDI and other groups are undertaking and there's Children's Hour (of which Globe is part), and there's another project by ABS-CBN Sineskwela or something, and the there's World Vision. :)
When is this show?
You know, I think part of the problem is also how our children are educated. I recently took a really life-changing seminar that had us watching the documentary "The Secret" and the example cited there was that of Mother Teresa saying she wouldn't attend an anti-war rally, but would go to a pro-peace one.
A lot of us are educated to be anti-poverty, anti-illiteracy, and anti-what-have-yous, but I think the key here is really to be pro-wealth, pro-education, and pro-whatever-good-thing we need. There lies true hope, and there lies true dignity. Which is why I love projects like GK777, which, I remember, you also wrote about. :)
I've seen the initial telecast of this show and I would say it was a brave move for these people to come up with this. There are a lot of problems that should be tackled and given a profound look. Education is one that should be given a priority. It's sad that we are left behind by our neighboring countries. If these conditions will continue, "Saan pupulutin and Pilipinas pagdating ng panahon?". Especially if some of those who are dying to be in politics come from the glitzy world of showbiz. I hope that this program will open the eyes of voters who cast theirs using "concept recall identity".
I think politicians and those aspiring to be should also watch this program so they may know the dire problems that they have to dealt with.
My KUDOS!! for the people of news and public affairs of GMA7 for coming up with this. It's one hell of an eye opener for the viewers of Philippine television.
I got to catch this as well and as an educator, I really was able to relate to the problems our country is facing with regard to education. Such a sorry state we are in. It makes you feel too privileged having been given private school education. I just hope this show is able to help put perspective in our decision especially in choosing able and responsible people to implement changes in our society.
I'd recommend this show. It's every Sunday, after S-Files (I think). Really makes you aware of the problems we're facing as a nation and makes you want to find out what these people who are out to run for national and local positions have planned to at least address these issues.
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