State of Philippine Education - Part 4

Coinciding with the opening of classes this month, I'm coming up with a series of articles that would talk about the current state of Philippine education. When I say here the 'state of Philippine education' it encompasses all issues related to it: from the conditions of our classrooms to the attitude of today's youth and the view of Philippine society today towards getting 'an education.'

Ito ang aking maliit na kontribusyon upang i-angat ang kalagayan at siguro panibaguhin kahit papaano ng sistemang pangedukasyon sa Pilipinas.

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For this post, let us take a break from taking a look at the dismal state of our educational system here in the Philippines. We will instead take our focus on the students - the products of our very own educational system. This time, I won't be delivering a 'sermon' on the 'state' of our students like me today. I would like to sum it up in what I call as the 'Panata ng Estudyanteng Pilipino' or roughly translated in English as 'The Filipino Student's Pledge.'

And so, without further ado, here is my own pledge that I would like fellow students like me to adopt as well.

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Unang Panata: Ako ay mag-aaral ng mabuti. Iisipin ko lagi na isa akong maswerteng bata na may mga magulang na may kakayahang paaralin ako sa mga eksklusibong paaralan na umaabot sa halos ilang milyong piso ang matrikula kapag ako ay gumradweyt na. Hindi ko iwawaglit sa aking puso't isip na kung magloloko lang ako, mas mabuti pa na ibigay ang pang-tuition ko para maipang-paaral sa iba.

At kung hindi na ako mag-aaral kahit na may pagkakataon pa ako, wala akong karapatang kumain at humingi ng load sa mga magulang ko.

(1st Pledge: I will study hard. I will never forget that I'm very lucky to have parents that can afford to send me to exclusive schools wherein the tuition fees would sum up in millions of pesos when I graduate. I will never forget with all of my heart and mind that if I would not study well, then it would be better if my tuition fees are given to those who deserve to study.

And if I won't study even if I had the chance to, I don't have the right to eat and ask for load from my parents.)

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Ikalawang Panata: Ako ay hindi mangongopya sa mga pagsusulit at takdang aralin. Estudyante ako at dapat na gawin ko ang aking responsibilidad. Tatandaan kong lagi ang sinabi ng aking propesor sa Filipino (actually, ang aking propesor. :D): ang mga nangongopya ay walang pinagkaiba sa mga rapist at magnanakaw. *evil laugh*

Hindi ko kakalimutan na nagsisimula ang pagiging kurakot, kriminal at rapist sa simpleng pagsulyap sa sagot ng aking katabi. Mabubuhay ako sa paniniwalang hindi ko ipagpapalit ang aking kaluluwa sa demonyo para lamang malaman kung true or false ba ang sagot sa number 2 at 7.

Hindi rin ako magpapadala sa 'peer pressure.' Wala akong pakialam kahit na sabihin nila na wala akong pakisama, na hindi ako marunong makiisa - na parang ganun lang eh ipagdadamot ko pa. Mas mabuti nang maging iba sa lahat kaysa sumama sa liga ng mga mandaraya. Mas mabuti nang libakin nila ako, hindi pa rin ako magpapadala sa kanila - dahil alam ko na nasa tama ako.

(2nd Pledge: I will never cheat in any examination or copy my classmate's homework. I am a student and I should know my responsibilities. I would always remember what my professor in Filipino told us (actually, my professor in Filipino. :D): cheaters are no different from rapists and theives. *evil laugh*

I will never forget that being corrupt, a criminal and a rapist begins with the simple peek on my seatmate's answer. I will live on this principle that I won't exchange my soul to the demon just to know if the answer in number 2 and 7 is true or false.

I will never give in to peer pressure. I don't care if they see me as an outcast, someone who is not part of the crowd, someone who is going against the flow and someone who does not want to 'share his part'. I would be better off to be not with them than join a band of cheaters. I would just accept their jeers than give in to them - because I know I'm doing the right thing.)

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Ikatlong Panata: Aral muna bago pag-ibig. Hindi ko maaaring pagsabayin ang dalawang bagay na humihingi ng malaking bahagi ng aking panahon. Kailangan kong mamili. Ngunit kung darating ito sa aking buhay at ako'y 'nahulog' sa patibong na ito, akin itong tatanggapin at gagawing inspirasyon sa pag-aaral. Dapat na malinaw sa akin ang mga limitasyon. Dapat kong paganahin ang aking utak at hindi ang bugso ng damdamin.

Pero kung wala pa, hindi na ako magbabalak pa na maghanap o 'magpabiktima' dahil madalas, nauuwi ang lahat sa pagkawala ng pag-ibig at pagkasira ng aking kinabukasan.

(3rd Pledge: Study first, love later. I cannot do two things at the same time that would require me to give almost all of my time to it. I need to choose. But if ever it comes into my life and I would 'fall for it', I would wholeheartedly accept it and use it to further inspire me to finish my studies. I should also be clear to me that I have limitations. I should always use my brain and not give in to sudden outbursts of emotions.

But if I still not into it, I should never have any intentions to 'find love' or become a willing victim to it because if not everytime, it all ends up with the loss of my love and my future.)

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Ikaapat na Panata: Hindi ako magiging linta. Hindi ako ang uubos ng isang pad paper ng aking kaklase dahil lagi na lang ako nanghihingi. Estudyante ako at hindi ako dapat pumapasok sa eskwela nang walang armas. Para na rin akong pumunta sa eskwela ng walang salawal. Isusuksok ko sa aking kokote na ang palagiang paghingi ay walang pinagkaiba sa mga kongresista na hingi ng hingi ng bagong buwis pero wala namang napapala at pinaghingian nila.

(Fourth Pledge: I will not become a leech. I will never devour my classmate's pad paper because I would ask for it every time we need it. I'm a student and I should not go to school without my 'weapons.' It would be like going to school without my pants on. I would not forget that devouring my classmates pad paper does not have any difference to our 'honorable representatives' who keeps on asking for new taxes but the people doesn't get anything from it.)

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Ikalimang Panata: Ako ay makikinig ng mabuti at irerespeto ang aking guro. Sila ang mga dakilang tao na pinili na maging isang guro kaysa maging domestic helper sa Hong Kong para kumita ng malaki. Sila ay mga dakilang tao na kasiyahan na ang may matutunan ako kahit kaunti.

Gagalangin ko ang aking guro kahit na siya pa ang pinaka-terror at kinamumuhian ko dahil sa lagi na lang akong pinapalabas ng classroom, pinapatayo sa upuan at binibigyan ng singko sa recitation. Hindi ko sila babansagan ng anuman. Hindi ako gagawa ng anumang tsismis na makakapanira sa kanila. Sila ay guro pa din at malalaman ko na lang balang araw na ang mga guro pala na ito ang nagtulak sa aking sarili upang magbago at magtagumpay sa larangan na aking pipiliin.

(Fifth Pledge: I will listen to my teacher. The great people who chose to become a teacher rather than become a domestic helper in Hong Kong just to earn more. They are great people whose happiness is just for me learn even a bit of it.

I will respect my teacher no matter how strict and how much I hate him/her because I am always 'sent out' of the room, stand on my chair or gives me a five in our recitation. I will not call them by any other name. I will not create any rumors that would damage their reputation. They are still my teachers and I would find out later in life that these teachers are the ones who had pushed me to the limit so that I can change myself and become a successful person in my field.)

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Ikaanim na Panata: Ako ay magiging mag-aaral na hindi lamang nakapako sa apat na sulok ng silid-aralan. Lalahok ako sa mga aktibidad na magdudulot ng panibagong kaalaman at karanasan sa akin na hindi ko matututunan habang nakaupo sa classroom. Hindi ako mangingimi na maging aktibo sa pagtulong sa kapwa, sa larangan ng palakasan o kahit pa ang maging 'aktibista.'

Naniniwala ako na higit akong maraming matututunan sa leksyon ng buhay at sa silid-aralan ng malawak na mundong aking haharapin, oras na ako'y magtapos sa huling yugto ng aking pag-aaral. Ang pagiging estudyante ay hindi hadlang upang ihawalay ko ang aking sarili sa realidad ng mundo. Bahagi ako nito. Dito ako gumagalaw. Ako ay isa sa bunga nito. Ito rin ang aking kakaharapin paglabas sa apat na sulok ng teorya at paraiso.

(Sixth Pledge: I will be a student that would not limit myself to the four corners of the classroom. I will join in activities that would let me learn new things and experiences which I would never learn while sitting down inside the classroom. I will not be meek and reluctant in being active in helping others, in sports or even becoming an 'activist' myself.

I believe that I would learn more from the lessons of life and the classroom of this wide world that I'd be facing once I got that diploma. Being a student is not the reason for me to detach myself from the realities of life. I'm a part of it. I move within it. I'm one of its products. This would also be the same world that I'd be facing once I leave the four corners of theory and paradise.)

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Pardon me for the poorly translated words and seemingly exaggerated prose in Filipino. But here it is, the pledge that I myself is trying to follow but unfortunately, I had not been able to faithfully 'comply' with it. I may have not been able to compile all that students need to do but these six pledges are merely symbolic for all of these things should be innate once a person becomes a student.

Pero sa hinaba-haba ng pagngawa ko dito eto lang naman ang gusto ko: I do hope that students like me would study hard and be a good student so that I can be a productive citizen of this nation.

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Bilang pangwakas, narito ang isang quote mula sa librong 'Days of Disquiet, Nights of Rage' ni Jose F. Lacaba:

"The beautiful thing is that the students can learn from their mistakes, can learn more through practice than through classroom theory. They have learned, for one thing, they do not even constitute a class in society and their existence as students is transitory."

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Photo credits: 1, 2 and 3.