Ang Kalunus-lunos na Kalagayan ng Edukasyon ng Pilipinas

Ang Kalunus-lunos na Kalagayan ng Edukasyon ng Pilipinas
Ni Apolinario Villalobos

Mismong mga guro ay nagsasabi na maraming kabataan ngayong kahit umabot na sa Grade 3 ay hirap pa ring bumasa at sumulat. Nang interbyuhin ang isang mataas na opisyal ng DepEd tungkol dito, ang paliwanag niya ay: “kasi hindi sila dumaan sa prep at kinder”. Nang marinig ko ito, lumabas sa ilong ko ang kahihigop ko pa lang na kape. Kung mismong isa sa mga namumuno ng DepEd ay may ganoong kahindik-hindik na takbo ng pag-iisip ay talagang wala na ngang maaasahan sa kabuuhan nito ang sistema ng edukasyon ng bansa. Kawawa naman ang mga kabataan!

Nang tanungin naman ang bangag yatang assistant Secretary tungkol sa K to 12 na ayon sa mga teachers ay hindi pa napapaghandaang mabuti, ang sabi niya, kailangan daw talaga ito upang paggradweyt daw ng mga estudyante sa high school ay maaari na silang magtrabaho. Isa pa ring hangal na sagot, dahil kung ang college graduate nga ay hirap makahanap ng trabaho, high school graduate pa kaya? Kung ang iniisip nitong isip-tungaw na tao ay trabahong pang-construction tulad ng paghalo ng semento na isa yata sa ituturo sa K to 12, tanga talaga siya, dahil maski hindi gradweyt ng elementarya ay kaya ang ganitong trabaho. Ang isa pang ituturo yata ay trabahong pang- beauty parlor na kaya naman pag-aralan ng mga tumatambay sa parlor. At, ang isa pa rin ay pagluluto na pwede namang pag-aralan kung papasok sa mga restaurant. Bakit kailangan pang pahirapan sa gastos ang mga magulang?

Yong tungkol naman sa mga textbook na ginawa nang workbook dahil nilagyan ng mga test questions kada katapusan ng chapter, alam pala niya at alam din pala niyang hindi na magagamit ulit ang mga textbooks kaya dagdag gastos talaga para sa mga magulang. Nang tanungin kung may ginagawa ang DepEd tungkol dito, ang sagot-bangag uli ay “kasi yan na ang kalakaran ngayon”. Kung nakamamatay lang ang long distance na pagmumura, siguro ay nangisay na ang opisyal ng DepEd sa dami ng nagmumurang nakikinig sa interbyu!

Mabuti hindi tinanong ng radio announcer yong tungkol naman sa mga libro na sa dami ay halos isang maleta na kaya ini-stroller na lang ng mga bata pagpasok sa klase. Baka ang sagot niya dito ay: “mabuti yang habang bata pa lang ay marunong nang humila ng maleta, bilang paghanda sa pagpunta nila sa ibang bansa upang maging katulong o di kaya ay construction worker pagkagradweyt nila sa high school ng K to 12 program”.

Nakakagulat malamang, “normal” lang pala para sa DepEd ang daming 45-50 na mag-aaral bawat kwarto. Kaya pala, yong iba, makaupo lang ay nagdadala ng sariling plastic na upuan, yong iba naman ay nakasalampak sa sahig. At ang lalong hindi pagtatakhan ay kung bakit talaga walang natututuhan ang mga bata dahil hindi natututukan na mabuti ng mga guro….dahil sa dami nila.

Ang pera ng bayan ay binubulsa ng mga kawatan sa pamahalaan. Ang presidente ay nagrereport ng mga kaayusan na daw sa mga paaralan batay sa mga binibigay sa kanya, ngunit ang hindi niya alam, karamihan sa mga ito ay imbento lamang. Ang hindi niya pinapakinggan ay ang mga guro mismo na direktang nakakaalam ng tunay na kalagayan ng sistema ng edukasyon sa bansa.

Ang malinaw, minadali niya ang pagsabatas ng K to 12 at ang pagpatupad nito upang maisama niya sa kanyang SONA, at para may masabing accomplishment pagbaba niya sa puwesto. Kung sakaling tumuluy-tuloy ang pagpatupad, madadagdag na naman ito sa habang-buhay niyang batik sa katawan, tanda ng kapalpakan niya bilang pangulo, at hindi maitatago sa likod ng isang apelyido na akala niya ay may madyik pa rin ang dating sa mga Pilipino hanggang ngayon.

Hazing…an eye-opener with the onset of the school year opening

Hazing
…a eye-opener with the onset of school year opening
By Apolinario Villalobos

Now and then, front pages of newspapers scream expositions on deaths that result from hazing. Investigations are conducted. Parents and concerned organizations hold rallies to put an end to the fatal ritual…and most often, they bark at the wrong tree.

There is already a law against it. Some schools ban fraternities. The police is doing its part. Meanwhile, concerned parents and organizations forgot to call the attention of other parents, especially, the students, themselves. The fact is that, most students who join fraternities to have a feeling of security and belongingness, are already of age, and know what they are doing, yet they do it. They read news about death resulting from hazing, yet, they take the risk by still joining.

With all those mentioned circumstances, why should parents blame the school?…and the police who cannot solve the crime immediately? Some parents blame the world, but themselves and their sons and daughters who upon entering the portal of colleges and universities become ambitious and arrogant. These sons and daughters thought that they can have a share of prominence in the campus by joining fraternities, and have their fingers or knuckles bear the mark of affiliation.

Some parents of hazing victims, on the other hand, insist that they did their part by warning their sons about joining such kind of organization. Really?… It has been found out that parents of some students who died from hazing belong to the fraternity that the departed tried to be part of! Some parents are even known to remind their sons and daughters to see to it that the fraternity that they will join, also has government officials as members, so that the latter can be approached for help in times of need. The price of selfishness is too expensive, indeed!

Some schools are doing the right thing by letting their students sign a release waiver, so that they will not be blamed if the latter would insist on joining a fraternity. The police is not in the position to pass on the blame, in view of the existing law, because it is their duty to solve a crime. Besides, passing on the blame will not solve the problems on hazing that is pestering the campuses. Many cases of hazing that result to the death of neophytes are left unsolved, hence, relegated to the sidelines, with their folders turning yellow and accumulating dust in filing cabinets of courts.

Doubts are floating if hazing can be possibly put to a stop, as officers of the fraternities involved are entrenched in the different nooks and corners of the government, with some even staff of schools, and who just remain silent every time a new case hits the pages of newspapers and aired over TVs and radios. Helplessness and futility of the effort is very evident.

The hazing victims have been given the opportunity to enjoy a much coveted, but expensive education, but they wasted it because of their arrogant social climbing attitude and desire to be part of the elite crowd in the campus. And, most unfortunately, many students who were known to be shy, have learned to smoke and imbibe alcoholic drinks after joining fraternities.

Before viewers who are members of fraternities will misjudge me, I would like to make it clear that I am not referring to all students as arrogant with social climbing attitudes that push them to join fraternities. Most, especially, I am not contending that all parents are selfish enough as to encourage their children to join fraternities known for their members who are government officials. I know that there are still many students who are sane enough to make use of the hard-earned money of their benefactors – parents, elder brothers or sisters, by focusing their mind in their studies.

A student need not join a fraternity to shine in the school campus. The school is intended for learning and not for negative socializing.