Education for Life (Article from Mindaview)

Education For Life

            It’s semester break and maybe it will do us all good evaluating the K + 12 proposal  of the Dep Ed. Hence, collectively where should we stand. Of course, the program entails additional sacrifice  to students and financial burden to parents. That’s given variables.

 Or if we so wish,  why don’t we just maintain the status quo of our present  educational system. We’ve been practicing it anyway more than a century. For the extreme with defeatist stance  sulking  into this attitude for so long not investing at all to education. Why all this added burden requiring additional financial requirement which might be prohibitive when we could not even eat decent three square meals a day. Where we could not even pay other basic social services and other priorities, why all this exorbitant burden to our pockets.

 In that case you fall into “try ignorance syndrome”. Or if you wish, why can’t we just squeeze our creative juices and make the most of it as we could be student  to Paperbacks  Colleges and Information Technology or the University of Hard knocks without incurring costs. Fine. But how many of us are blessed by ganta of talents  bent and have the aptitude of say writers, artists and other exceptionally gifted individuals the likes of  late Blas Ople, NVM Gonzales, Nick Joaquin, Joey Ayala  and PDI Conrad de Quiros. All showing that  mantra in successful chosen field in reality  is 10%  percent talent and 90 % perspiration.

 Too many  litanies of ill will when the proposal for the better and improvement is not at all that big deal.

Apparently, the proposal is relevant if we are to improve our present educational system and thus preparing and saving the best for the future of our generation. It is be either or for the program. The choice is ours to make. It’s that crucial for our answer will determine the future of all stakeholders – the students, parents, academe and nation. Hence, drawing now  the line and see if we mean it standing all the way  where our option is  key and will greatly of help it at all to said program.                                    

 Let’s accept it. We’re mostly products of old diploma mill  system winning some juicy and attractive career there, the rest in competitive companies enjoying attractive salaries. The unfortunate ones, the great majority of professionals ironically yet underemployed. Worst are the ineligibles ones added statistics to diploma mill educational system of the country. .

Sec. Armin Luistro says it all – quality education no less for all Filipinos. And for this engaging and beautiful initiative in addressing  that more than century old problem besetting our educational system I can only say may his tribe  increase millions fold.  Amen.  That is already explainable in the light of  free market of ideas explained earlier on the merits and disadvantages of the proposal. Not supporting and participating in this endeavor therefore should be a mistake we should not afford to commit. Let’s go for it and brace for the better. If not now, when?

 Why not? His K + 12 is actually not such that really big deal. We’re partly  been there. It is noted for instance that those who passed competitive examinations in UP, Ateneo, UST and other topnotch universities benefited from such longer exposure to such model practiced in private schools giving early education from kindergarten onwards to high school and college. Even in seminaries, adding additional refresher course decided en banc by seminary mentors as needed improved the communication skills of priests in dishing out homilies.

Let’s accept it. We’ve been left behind in science and technology by our neighbor Asian Countries.What would we get anyway of those straight four years secondary and college education if not simply diploma for decoration purposes. With the  exception of talented ones and graduated with Honors and has May Backer Ako (MBA) tail in their  names’  end, it is all sad story for the victims of diploma mill adding to the long list of jobless and unproductive citizenry.  Not all though are unlucky specially when they have to resort to boot licking of  politicians in exchange for  insecure job orders and casual posts not knowing that they are merely used in perpetuating  patronage politics.

Obviously, our present basic education supposedly  designed for life is sorely lacking. Mostly the freshmen are intellectually immature as shown by shifting of courses.  The rest and unfortunate ones, not at all entered college, Sec. Armin Luistro noted.  Thus, the timely K +12 proposal. That is, maintaining Kindergarten and adding 2 more year as  Senior High School. making the regular 4 years high school as junior high school. At least from there when all smokes would be clear by our student, they could have confidence  either to proceed  College or work. If caught indecision, they can buy time reflecting on the best choices there is given their aptitude and talent by enrolling in special programs. Financial obligation should be the least worry of the parents for the cost was already integrated into the program by the Department.. Let’s go and thanks for this new initiative of the Dep. Ed.

We are all  students for life. Let it be forever our covenant  that way. Better fixing this early our educational system late than leaving it defective and irrelevant for the lifetime.