Just by how much do we need the 2 extra rice?

Friday, October 8th, 2010

Recently, the Philippine government proposed an additional of 2 years to the basic education in our 10-year curriculum. There has been mixed response from the public so far, but one major major (LoL) basis of this is because the Philippines is the only country in Asia with a 10-year length for its basic schooling. Others are at least 12.

 

Because I graduated 6 years ago, I only had to endure 10 years of basic education (plus a year for kinder), and 4 more years of university degree summing up a total of 15 years. This is the amount of time a normal Filipino would take to get up to a bachelor’s degree. I took up a 4-year course in the university, which is the shortest amount of time for any bachelor course. I never had any fancy pre-nursery, nursery, prep, or daycare, but I suppose that’s not very much a fad during my days (OMG I feel old).

 

Locally, I was able to work immediately after graduating, and since I had the chance to work outside the Philippines for more years than inside the country where I got my education, I would probably say that what I got is good enough. Well, I know this is a very particular case. I might just be lucky, or maybe I was just smart enough (LoL again) to make sure I look smart. Years ago, when I had to have my qualification assessed by New Zealand standard, I got no less than their equivalent for their Bachelor’s degree (although my mission is actually a failure down there, but that’s a different story).

 

With the Filipino diaspora that is so evident at the moment, the world recognizes us. A combination of about 10 million skilled and unskilled Filipino laborers are outside our country (including me hehe). They are employed by foreigners because the government can’t provide enough jobs, or the jobs back home are not well paid. The cost of living in the Philippines, despite very low, has a bad ratio with the net pay an average Juan slid in his pocket. So he decides to leave the country for a while until he can save enough money perhaps to buy him some house or lot (both if lucky), or to start his business, and likewise. Some of them, having experienced the goodness of living abroad, decided to stay out of the Philippines for good. These people are only being prudent, and think for their own welfare. Would you blame them? If all of them go back home, would the country be prepared to give them jobs, precisely the thing she can’t give him in the very first place? Or are they going to be an added bulk to the constantly dwindling administration?

 

Going back to education, I hope our leaders would see first the things that are more apparent in our education system. We have enough flaws. Our plate is more than full enough for things that we should prioritize. I recognize that the Department of Education got the biggest share in our national budget for 2011, which is probably a good start. But the matter is, is instead of worrying about the extra 2 years of schooling, shouldn’t we have an eye first on the condition of our public schools and facilities, or perhaps the lack of it? The quality of textbooks that we provide? The kind of teachers we have and how do we pay them? The ratio of students enrolling and dropping out? The overall resource we set for education from our national budget, and where these are going? I remember reading only weeks ago that some students in Manila even have to go home just to pee because of the lack of toilet facility.

 

With the new administration, I’ve always thought that our country is heading for the straight path. Because if that’s the case, we have to accept that we are back to reviewing the most basics of things instead of contemplating of how we are deprived of some 2 extra rice (because other countries have 2 extra rice on their plates).

 

Jeremy David Chua

Sta. Catalina College

St. Michael’s College of Laguna

University of the Philippines Los Baños - BS Computer Science