In The News

Watching the evening news is a routine for us. We automatically put it on news at 6:30PM. I am beginning to wonder if I should just stop watching it because I get so annoyed, irritated, affected and most of all depressed by everything I watch!

With the opening of classes this week, a lot of the news stories focus on the current educational situation of public schools in the country. The public school system in the Philippines is like no other. Yes tuition fee is about 100% or more cheaper than if you enrolled your child in a private school but you get your moneys worth. In a class, there are about 65 pupils crammed into a classroom good for 40 students. Because there are too many pupils, there are not enough tables and chairs and books. A book may have to be shared by 4 children. This evening, they featured a public school somewhere in metro Manila where there were just too many pupils in a classroom that the chairs had to be crammed inside leaving no floor space. So the teacher was actually standing on the arm chairs of the children! It totally broke my heart. And then in one school in the Visayas, located far from the city proper they only had 3 teachers so graces 1&2 had to be combined, 3&4 together and grade 5&6 as well. I do not want to get into the news feature on the current condition of the bathrooms of the schools. Too sad.

What is this? How do we expect the next generation to create a brighter future? It breaks my heart so bad. I wish my children would appreciate what they have instead of taking it all for granted.  I can't help but wonder if there is a chance for things to change. Education is so important but how can one learn properly if the environment for learning is not conducive? This a problem that needs to be addressed and there should be a follow through. If our President is serious about reforming the country,  I hope he realizes which areas he needs to give primary focus to.

There must be hope.