position paper on the philippine system of education

Poor Quality Too often in this world do we see people who decide to buy products because of their low price. Although many might say that they aim to save and spend less, in the long run, good quality products will always yield the best outcome in any situation. It is quite simple, like when you take a girl whom you really like out on a date. You do not think about the price of the food she chooses or how much money you will need to spend for gasoline. Rather, you think about how much this person means to you and you set all other less important things aside. Of course, spending every cent in your pocket is not the right thing to do, but giving as much as you can in the smartest way possible will lead to good results on your end. I think the same goes for education. You have to invest in good education for you to make the most of your learning experience. Sadly, I think that the educational system in our country is not that good. We always hear politicians giving speeches about the youth being our nation’s only hope, but the government does not set aside enough funds for the proper schooling of young Filipinos. Many news reports show us schools who lack books, chairs, pencils and even classrooms at times! Is it so hard for the government to provide students with their own set of books when the government officials themselves can afford to own about ten or more houses each costing at least one million pesos? Another factor which proves that the Philippines has a poor system of education is that the government fails to give the proper support to several skilled and talented young Filipinos. Sure the government hands out scholarships to several intellectually gifted students who excel in subjects like Math or Science. What about students who are gifted in other aspects though? Education is not limited to the four corners of the classroom. Rather, education refers to a general sense of learning wherein knowledge, skills and habits are transferred from one to another through different forms of teaching and training. I was lucky enough to be chosen as a member of the Buglas Youth Leadership Program wherein fourth year high school students from all over Bacolod are invited to join a series of activities which promotes leadership and nation- building. One of the participants of the program was a student of Bacolod City National High School, a public school. This participant talked to me about the school not giving them enough support when joining contests, specifically the ABS-CBN Newscasting Competition. As a student of the University of St. La Salle, I was blessed with a terrific opportunity to improve when my school assigned me with teachers to serve as coaches. My friend from Bacolod City High told me that none of their teachers offered help in preparing for the competition. Not even the slightest critique of the way he reported was given. So now we have to ask, what if this person had the potential to be one of the best journalists in the country? By not offering their support, the school took away this student’s chance of growth or development in a certain field. When a person’s chance for growth is taken away, his opportunity of attaining greatness is taken down with it. I think the same goes for all other sports and literary events. Often, students are not given the right support in order for them to achieve the best possible versions of themselves. To make things simple, the government is not doing enough. A different approach must be taken for our country’s educational system because, if things stay the same, we can’t expect better things for our country in the future. In order for our country to progress, education can’t just be free. Students, whether in public schools or private, must be assigned with teachers who want to teach. Teachers cannot just come to class, write words on the black board and expect students to immediately absorb the information without any other formal discussions. The people chosen to teach in schools must truly have a passion for passing on what they know to students. These people must also be open to any situation because there will always be students who don’t immediately understand a certain topic in class. In short, our country’s teachers have got to love what they do because when students see the fire in a teacher’s eyes when explaining a certain lesson then these students, in turn, develop a passion for learning. When our country’s youth become passionate about learning then they will develop a sense of awareness in our country and, hopefully, this sense of awareness will push the next generation of Filipinos towards change. A change not just in the framework of our education, our government or our nation, but rather, a positive change in the outlook of Filipinos on life. With any luck, Filipinos will develop views inspired by nationalism wherein their focus will not just be centered on individual improvement, but the improvement of their entire country as well.

Bibliography: education. (n.d.). Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition. Retrieved October 06, 2013, from Dictionary.com website:http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/education

Bibliography: education. (n.d.). Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition. Retrieved October 06, 2013, from Dictionary.com website:http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/education