Working children can be effective teachers

TIME and again it has been proven that students’ learning is more fun and effective when they are exposed to real-life situations. The children who are trying to survive in harsh environs are more equipped with life’s tools in dealing with life’s hardships, as they are more attuned and in step with practical ideas.

Thus, when college students came to meet young children labourers in Tibungco relocation area, one of Kaugmaon Foundation’s areas of responsibility where their children clients are located, they were filled with so much excitement. Kaugmaon is a non-government organization (NGO) working with children who are into “child labor.”

The students were tasked to engage the very young children who have experienced eking out a living in dire situations at a very tender age, such as scavenging in garbage dumps and out into the city streets just to find anything that could be sold or eaten. Earlier on, they have been given an orientation by Kaugmaon’s Executive Director, Ms. Moi Tacang, who was also teaching part-time at ACD, about what to expect in their exposure trip. That was why they could not wait to get on with their interviews.

Kym June Sunga, a Grade IV nine-year old have awed BSBA student Sarah Mae R. Pilapil who could not believe that Kym already knew all household chores at such a very young age. The child made Sarah Mae realize her own shortcomings with the way she lives a happy-go-lucky life, making her mother do the household chores that should have been her only contribution to their home.

“It’s very easy to live the life of a child, but then, there are a lot of children out there who are burdened with the responsibility of their parents,” said Ian Auguis, BSBA student who sympathized with 11-year-old Justine Jem Martinez who worked really hard as dish washer in an eatery at the same time selling empty bottles, cast away irons and plastics to earn extra money he can use in school. Even if he was saddened by the story of Justine, he was still glad to have inspired him with his presence through the exposure.

Many among the students were touched by the stories they heard from the children. Some of them were even moved to hug their new found friends and give them something in return for allowing them to learn from their stories. Ken Joseph Salongcong, one of the working students at ACD has been thinking about how difficult his life has been at present. But when he learned about the life of 15-year-old Jenny Rose Lomod who is desperate to find work so that she could go to school, he felt ashamed for complaining about the stress that he gets from his job in school.

“I realized after the interview that I am in fact lucky to be able to work and at the same time have the chance to study, and that I should be contented with what I have,” Ken said.

These are just some glimpses into the real-life learning that the Bachelor of Science in Business Administration students were blessed with during that activity. There was some sense of fulfillment that some of them felt after the process. At ACD this standard way of teaching students in real life situations is an effective tool of keeping their feet firmly on the ground, making them realize what the school’s Vision and Mission really means. It makes learning more fun and meaningful.