Monday, June 04, 2007 Editorial: It's school time again
TODAY, millions of students all over the country will go back to school again.
But same as usual, the Education Department is facing various problems especially in public elementary and high schools such as lack classrooms, lack of teachers and overcrowding.
One can expect an over-crowded public schools. A 1:50 to 1:70 for teacher students ratio in one classroom is expected to happen in any public school anywhere in the country.
And this is a tangible sign of prevailing poverty in the country. Because more parents can no longer afford high tuitions in private schools. And believe it or not, around 70 percent of students in private schools have transferred to public schools.
But no matter what, Education Secretary Jeslie Lapus ordered that classes will be normal starting today.
I salute Secretary Lapus because he said the Education Department has no choice but to go on holding normal classes despite numerous problems in public schools.
As to the quality education, Lapus said he assures that public school teachers are now equipped with methods and knowledge that can make overcrowded classrooms still conducive for learning.
Though, he is hoping that both the House of Representatives and the Senate will take a closer look of concern on the present "poor" state of the country's Education system by allocating more budgets for building more classrooms and for hiring more teachers. Let's pray for that.
Parents' problems
Today's opening of classes is also another worse reality confronting most of the parents right now. It is because aside from the high prices of school supplies, they have to think now of extra income to sustain the daily allowances of their kids. This is not to mention the expected school contributions, projects, etc.
If they have kids going to college, they will also be burdened with the high cost of tuition.
And it cannot be denied that because of these realities, some parents opt to let some of their kids stop schooling for this school year.
Meaning, if there are millions who are going back to school today, hundreds of thousands will also compose now the out-of-school youth sector all over the country.
