BETWEEN HAVES AND HAVE NOTS

BETWEEN HAVES AND HAVE NOTS

Danielle S. Gabriza

 “Maypa didto sa America kay kompleto man ilang gamit. Diri sa Pilipinas, looy kaayo.”

“Dili najud uso ang libro didto kay tablet naman ilang mga gamit. Diri naa lagiy tablet pero limited lang.”

“Tagsa silag computer didto, diri kay puli-puli ang estudyante.”

“Kompleto jud ilang facilities didto, diri kay ambot nalang jud.”

These are just some of the common lines of most, if not some, of the students here in the Philippines. They have been always blurting out these, since God knows when, telling mostly of what it is like between having and not having, especially with regards to our educational system. The fact, the truth that hurts cannot be denied that our country is still on the process of being developed, meaning it is still “developing”, unlike in those developed countries which are always experiencing the ease and comfort of having the so-called technology-driven educational system.

Technology has proven enough of its positive and negative impacts on the education status around the globe. I wanted to focus more on its positive impacts because, with conviction, I certainly believe that technology has a lot more to offer, not just improving, increasing, supporting the quality of education of this generation, but also transforming the core of education of and for this generation, and of and for the generations to come. I say that technology is necessary for education’s continued existence and vitality in everyone’s lives.

The lines above do not give us the clear and wide picture of what is the true scenario inside the Philippine educational system and these are just the pieces of the whole. The question I wanted to ask is that, “Are we lagging behind?” I just wanted to confirm it, at the same time, not confirm the answer I have in my mind. Change has come my friends and my countrymen, but we are just half-embracing the change we needed for us to move and march forward into being “developed”.

Of course, there is no repudiating that our educational system is moving or developing more slowly than expected. It pains me to admit but yes, a big yes to this. I cannot help myself but blame it all to the government. It is funny and sad to think why is this happening wherein fact the Philippine constitution has mandated the government to allocate the highest proportion of its budget to education.

     If not for the fact that I enrolled in this program, Bachelor of Secondary Education major in English, I will not be able to see the reality because I never get the chance to immerse myself in schools outside my comfort zone, outside the reality of being inside a private school for almost 12 years of my life. I get to see how disturbing it is to use books provided by the government yet not being able to bring it along outside school premises because of the fear of the teachers that these books may be put to no use, that it will be lost or torn. Also, one of these teachers’ reasons is that they wanted to preserve the books for years so that the incoming students will still benefit from these books.

    In addition to our envy and pain, a lot of videos were presented to us that are related to the educational system of the First World countries and the only thing we can do is just being amazed and mutter words “woahs” and “wows” by how these technologies completely transformed their education status. Technology integration there is used to support both teaching and learning. Technology infuses classrooms with digital learning tools, such as computers and hand held devices for better and faster access, dissemination and sharing of knowledge and information within and across borders; expands course offerings, learning materials, and valuable, timely and relevant experiences needed for this technology-driven world; supports and boosts learning 24 hours a day, 7 days a week; increases student engagement and motivation; and accelerates learning.

   How can this complete change reside in the Philippine educational system? How can we embrace the change if this change is so near yet so far? How can we let technologies drive our educational system if we cannot afford its fuel, its parts – the technologies itself? Can we ask the government about these?

I have a lot of questions left unanswered and the more these questions pile up; the more children – the hope and establisher of the future – are left famished and are left thirsting for education. I say, the government must urgently and honestly heed to the mandate of the constitution. I will not be idealistic, but I demand total (yet gradual, since we cannot just plug-in technology right now, right here because adjustments will still take place) change in our educational system, a change that would serve as the ladder for students to slowly and surely, yet consistently climb up to what it means to being a human in this modern world.

This modern society, this modern world is taking its standards to a new different level demanding every knowledge, skills and competence for this 21^st century world to operate. And it all boils down to education because the three can be acquired and honed through education. If the educational system is incompetent, of course, this will produce incompetent individuals. Let us all remember that these individuals are the ones who will operate the world, that is why we need to gear the educational system with technology that is in line with the jobs these individuals will be pursuing in the future, technology-driven classrooms that are the same time authentic, which means to say that it should be parallel to and with the real world because this will prove to be useful and this would make the said individuals lifelong learners, and these individuals can be of good use to the betterment and progress of this world. Remember that this competent world has no place for incompetent individuals.

So, this is my cry to the government: Bring change (even if it is just a gradual change) and help us all be the competent individuals our society and our world need.

Change is what we need, gradual change. We may lack in something that these first world countries have, but we have the will, the perseverance, and the heart.

The pain and disadvantage of not having is what the Philippine educational system is experiencing, while the joy and advantage of having is what the 1^st world countries are experiencing. But, friends, co-students and countrymen, I tell you that not having should not stop us from reaching our common goal and that is to be “developed”. What it means to be poor, what it means to be developing is that we still have a lot to work on yet never detouring from the path we are headed to and that is towards being developed. Having necessities is not a hindrance, it often leads to creative and promising ends, it is an opportunity for us to improve and be one or more than these first world countries are.