Wednesday, March 21, 2007 Severino: An Epistle to Graduates By Gil Alfredo Severino Think Economics
THERE are five major sets of graduates every year, the pre-schoolers, elementary, high school, college, the post-graduates; let me include the vocational, short-termers and other programs to complete the picture. Belonging to different levels and strata, I wonder how this “epistle” shall speak to these graduates. More serious is that there are battalions and battalions of non-readers and non-writers among graduates, even among teachers/professors including non-education oriented administrators – comprising a “powerful” segment of the Philippine Educational System. Add the problems that Government created and textbook errors and inaccessibility, I would already be happy if a graduate will stop for a moment after relishing celebrations in their respective barangays and contemplate. I would be happiest if this piece can serve as a guide for a graduate’s self-examination.
This year’s Dep Ed Graduation theme 2007 is “Student Empowerment: Towards Greater Productivity”; CHED’s theme is usually unknown. There is that root word “power” which has to be understood, realized and internalized before “productivity” can ever happened. We can define power for hours and days, but what power radiates among “53,000 public high school teachers who took an English proficiency test, only 19% scored passing grades”? (May 2003) We are talking of 41,000 teachers flunkers here! We have not tested them in mathematics yet and have not assessed their research skills as indicator of profound scholarship. Private school teachers were not tested, too; and we cannot assume that their HRDs or Personnel Department had done so. Why not test the Dep Ed Secretary, USECs, ASECs, Commissioners and school administrators? The absence of such tests to these entities is not “save by the bell” scenario. This could be the social volcano.
This is no joke; I am talking of “powers” radiating and bequeathed to graduates. What empowerment took place during their nurturing stages having teachers who failed in the English proficiency tests and leaders who are “untested”? What powers were transferred and socialized to 2004 High School Readiness Test of which only 0.64% passed out of 1.2 million takers? Or the latest Trends International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMMS) of which the Philippines placed 36th out of 38 participating countries around the world? Let us not talk about the state of research magnitudes in the Philippines of which DOST place Php300,000.00 average per research output of a scientist. With this, what technological power are we talking that will serve as engines of our industrialization, thus feeding hunger, malnutrition, diseases and poverty in general? All these are the “signs” of our generation. I doubt whether your schools have discussed this with you in the mst humane approach. I have known schools who did nothing instead but confiscate cell phones, monitor student love lives, beatify silence because to be noisy is naughty, suspend males with piercing accessories, as though these behaviors adversely affect intelligence; while their teachers and administrators lead secret immoral lifestyles and worst, cannot speak straight and good English. To you graduates, it is sad, but you have no else to turn to. The Philippine Educational System just does not work.
There are those who have understood powers, though. You are not that desperate that this society is devoid of those who are competent. Go, confer and learn with them. They could be your parents.
Congratulations to my tutees Batch 2007 of Tay Tung, Kirk Bernas, John Choa, Derick Dongon, Rowee Yap and my son Paul (Grade 6), from Shiloh Christian School. Live the life of “power” the way you understood it.
For questions and comments, please email gil_severino@yahoo.com
