Children's Rights

Let us place their innocence to a higher level...

More and more, teachers express anxiety over the increasing number of laws protecting children.  "What about our rights?" They often lament.  Somehow teachers suspect that the lawmakers didn't attempt to understand the complex world of classroom management.  They pointed out that the gap between students and teachers are too big, a mega bridge must b e constructed.

If before, it was too easy to exercise due care and diligence by memorizing the punitive laws, some teachers complained that it is too difficult to be mindful of the laws on children.  It has become to many and even the Department of Education issued its own policies for them.

When I first heard about these complaints, I was dumbfounded to the point of non-reaction. I thought that they mainly champion the best interest of children and took up the teaching profession for love of them.

More room for their hearts and minds to soar...

While it may be easy to look into the novelty of integrating positive discipline in the classroom or exploring ways to child friendly approaches, it is very difficult to embrace  'concepts'...  Some of the teachers come from a different experience and paradigm where violence may be used as an excuse for love.  They come from a discipline where the misconduct of an individual is always taken at face value forgetting the social implications for such acts.

It is children's month.  I wish we shall be more open and excited for all the laws on children.

My take on K + 12

I am a martial law baby. I was made to think that the new society was the solution to all the problems in the world and that our country is the best and the greatest. History was very much glossed over and I was truly made to think that we are great.

will these graduates be far less than the future ones?



We were made to speak English very well and that we were the best comparable to all the English speaking people in the world. I graduated quite early in life and I was given the chance to be exposed at the international level. Then my de-education began.

While some of my colleagues in international conferences were still very much struggling with their university education, they can’t truly believe that I already had my Master’s Degree (just like many Filipinos). Classical books, philosophies and lives of great men and women were discussed casually and integrated into the round table discussions very swiftly. I have to grapple with all the works…

In that time, one of the big topics that we often discuss as a student movement was the meaning and relevance of education. Everybody K+12 educated or not questioned the essence and the meaning of it. Is it truly for life? Does it really nurture total human development?

One of the impressions that I had in those meetings and visits to other countries is that the schools are in another world and spectrum. Teachers are given a special recognition. Infrastructure-wise we truly lag behind and nowadays, I meet OFWs outside the country who still can’t speak straight English to their bosses in an English speaking world. Can K+12 truly address this issue? Will we be better equipped and skilled to face life, savor it optimally?

As educators, what shall we do to achieve curricular change and enhancement? Do we have the right tools and mindset? It is a bit scary to listen and talk about K+12 and merely sit back. We have our responsibilities. This program opens myriad possibilities for our university. We can offer short courses and would force the faculty to improve their EQ.

On the side of the administration, a need to galvanize policies and creativity in offering alternatives is imperative. How do we optimize our buildings? Can we generate nontraditional incomes? How do we ensure a buffer in the rainy days ahead?

Another point that I am worried of is in the positioning of the K+12 program as an alternative to compulsory vocational education to prepare the students for life without taking University degree. The only reason that I can still understand for now is the fact that if one graduates senior high school, one is already of legal age, able to transact contracts individually.

The pronouncement would not really produce highly specialized university students as senior high is offering more of a vocational education and would not leave much room for academic preparation for those planning to continue their university degree. This meant having a relatively mature studentry but with still much more demanding 'backjob' in basic education.

The way I take in this issue is the inability of both CHED and Dep Ed to see each other eye to eye on this issue. I haven't lost all the hopes yet... If the current chief executive finally took the cudgels of putting the K+12 as a political agenda, I hope that he would give marching orders to the two offices to holistically look into the situation.

Being in the academe for almost a decade makes me feel sick of implementing educational programs in piecemeal basis.