`Selos ng isang dayuhan’

Every talk about a waning educational system invariable focuses on the classroom. It is there where the symptoms of decay readily can be seen:

One of every eight public schools has a teacher-to-pupil ratio above 1:50. Only 19 of every 100 public school teachers have confidence and competence to teach English. One of every seven students does not have a classroom. One of every five does not have a desk. One of every three does not have a single textbook. One of every four shares a single set of textbooks. Only one dentist ministers to every 22,500 pupils. As a result, only six of every 1,000 Grade 6 elementary graduates are prepared to enter high school. Only two of every 100 4th year high school students are fit to enter college. Filipino pupils ranked 41st in Science and 42nd in Math among 45 countries tested.

If that isn’t bad enough, brace for a worse set of figures. The situation in classrooms is only half the problem of Philippine literacy:

While there are 10.5 million children aged 6-11 years old in grade school, another two million are out of school. They are either doing house chores or too far from school to attend play-class. Too, while 3.4 million students aged 12-15 are in high school, a bigger number of four million are not enrolled. They either had flunked grade school, or have to help in the farm or family store, or simply dropped out and turned to drugs.

On top of the six million kids left behind are 10.5 million Filipinos aged 16-77 classified as illiterate or innumerate. Unable to read, write or count, they are unequipped for the basic tasks to survive, much more for gainful work. Truly, how does one get a driver’s license if he cannot read signs? How does one apply for a job if he cannot write his own name? How does one open even a small business if he cannot add and subtract?

To recap the figures, about 16.5 million Filipinos are in deteriorating school. About the same number of 16.5 million have dropped out of school or are trying to fend for themselves although lacking in fundamental skills.

What to do? Obviously, the state needs to seek out all the six million children out of school and entice them back for their own good. And with the 10.6 million illiterate adults already loose in society, the state needs to play catch-up and outfit them with basic knowledge for productive living.

All that is easier said than done. The government in 2007 may have the highest ever budget for education — P134.7 billion — but it’s mostly for basic instruction. Rated only 11 percent of GDP, the fund would hardly suffice to start solving the first set of problems in declining classrooms. Only public spending for education of at least 16 percent would make a dent. Money obviously has to be put first in improving schools, and only then out of schools.

Still, the Department of Education does have a program for the out-of-school youth and adult illiterates. Called Alternative Learning Systems, under a Bureau headed by Dr. Carolina Guerrero, the allocation though is only P230 million, or 0.17 percent of the DepEd total. The effect of the low budget is telling. While the DepEd has about 550,000 teachers mentoring the 16.5 million in-school youths, Guerrero’s BALS has only 800 to handle an equal number of those out of and past school.

To cope with budgetary lack, the BALS must seek substitute funding elsewhere. The 800 alternative-learning teachers thus take on tasks other than teaching reading, writing and arithmetic. They also must convince city halls and barangays, churches and foundations to help out. Support of local governments, parishes and civic groups is needed to seek out the learners and organize the classes.

The 800 are assigned for months at a time either in city slums or mountain villages. Depending on the help they get, their classes range from a dozen mixed youths and adults to the hundreds. Given a formidable job of reaching out to 16.5 million, they are barely scratching surface. But they’ve made the start.

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The Quezon City police was swift to arrest four of the five robbers who killed the Makati police deputy chief along Commonwealth Avenue last week. But their spokesman Supt. Asper Cabula seemed not to be in tune with them.

Makati’s Supt. Jovem Bocalbos was shot dead while honestly earning extra bucks driving his family van as a mega-taxi. Fellow-officers lauded Bocalbos’s diligence and dedication. But Cabula has this to say (STAR News, 25 May 2007): “While the Philippine National Police is lenient with policemen engaging in legitimate sidelines, I personally believe that (Bocalbos) should not have unduly exposed himself to such risk due to his already high stature.”

The spokesman’s words lead to sad interpretations. One, driving a mega-taxi on Commonwealth Avenue is risky. Two, high officers must not risk their lives driving mega-taxis. Three, ordinary citizens — those without stature — may risk their lives with sidelines if they so wish.

Cabula clearly needs re-indoctrination in public service and sacrifice.

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