From the UP Alumni Metropolitan DC egroup, this link from the Sun.Star Bacolod was sent: http://www.sunstar.com.ph/static/bac/2006/06/23/oped/editorial.html. Part of the article says:
YEARS ago the country saw the exodus of school teachers to work as domestic helpers in nearby countries. There just wasn't enough income from teaching anymore. Although teaching can be considered a vocation and one of the great professions, teachers and their families have stomachs to feed too.
And I say:
Can anybody blame us why some of us are here abroad?
But there will always be Filipino teachers back home and our main goal in the Pinoy Teachers Network (www.pinoyteachersnetwork.blogspot.com) is to empower those members and the rest of the Filipino teachers through knwledge and skills impart/ professional development trainings. We are hoping to do this whenever each of us goes back home. We, the PTN organization, is still in the infancy stage and we have high hopes and ideals for the upliftment of the Philippine Educational System. Our teachers back home and the Philippine Education are what made us world class teachers. We believe it's PAYBACK TIME!
I hope there would still be people in the government who would be willing to help us with our noble goal. KAYANG KAYA BASTA SAMA SAMA, di ba?
The good news according to the paper is:
With the release of the $200-million loan from the World Bank to improve the country's educational system, we can only hope that the money will really uplift the educational system and does not just fall into the wrong hands again and in the pockets of a few.
And I say:
I am not going to ask anymore what the government is going to do with the $200-million loan (again????), an infant does not ask questions he has very little voice and most of the time isn't heard/ understood, but messages sent are sometimes picked up.
My message to those in the government and the Department of Education is this: "Through the history of civilization, the concept of education has remained stable. Colors fade, temples crumble, empires fall, but education endures. Societies that succeed respect their teachers, and the teachers respect themselves."
3 comments:
Marisol, You might be interested in this email I received from a former staff.... re the current state of Philippine education
"Hay naku Doc, totoo talagang nangyari at nangyayari pa ang mas marami pang anomalya sa buong sistema ng gobyerno. All for the name of perpetuating the DWARF IN THE PALACE!!! Nakakawalang pag-asa na talaga. I am doing a project with DepEd now and I have been having the shock of my life to find that our children are no longer what they are purported to be - kabataang pag-asa ng bayan. Very few reach the 75 pasang awa grade. The system is producing basic education graduates who are functionally illeterates. Nakakabasa pero walang comprehension! Naiiyak na ko! Kaya, I have accepted a long term assignment in Indonesia. I will be leaving mid July. Mabuti na 'to para hindi na ko magbayad ng taxes na napupunta lang naman sa bulsa ng mga walanghiya sa gobyerno! "
egroup message
Disappointing, di ba?
Has the Philippine government and their leaders sank this low? Is this the legacy they seek for themselves in Philippine history -INFAMY? And they do not care as long as the family enrich and line their pockets from corrupt practices? Where have their conscience gone? What about the oath taken -- of service to the people of the Philippines?
egroup message
This is expected and has been happening even long before we left the country, but it's still heart breaking for me. Oh, sad reality. What can the subordinates of the Midget do but comply or leave her government otherwise they will be charged of insubordination. Yes, most of those who have principles and ideals like your friend and who do not approve of what's happening most probably have already left the country or the government.
This is not what we want for our "kabataan pag-asa ng bayan". But we, teachers, are not experts in politics or economics. We leave the political arena to the law makers, lawyers, government officials.
We, in the Pinoy Teachers Network, would like to address the key to education of the youth--the teachers. We will collaborate, support, and help other organizations who are doing education related projects like the Feed the Hungry (donate a classroom, book drive, etc...). But we also have our own mission and vision, and we will do this with joy in our hearts that we'd like to give back to those who made us globally competitive and inspire and encourage them to produce some more world class professionals (not "functionally illitirate" students).
Our organization is run by its members with 12 core group members from here in the US, Canada, and the Philippines. We are not funded, with no membership fees. Basta gurong Pinoy ka, kapamilya ka na. And we'll be able to survive and thrive...money is not really a big issue.
With the $200 million they loaned for DepEd? They just created another reason for the Philippines to remain in the Third World Country category.
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