Friday, June 29, 2007 Roperos: School subjects By Godofredo M. Roperos Politics Also
WHEN I was still in grade school, I remember that book that was much bigger than the average ones we got as primary school pupils. It was called “My Home Land” and was about Philippine geography.
I liked it because of the photographs of people and places, thus allowing me to “travel” around the country. Where is the rice terraces located? Where do you get buntal hats? Where do you find Magellan’s Cross?
Recently, I attended a meeting of teachers, parents, and guardians of high school students enrolled in a private secondary school. One of the topics was a rundown of the subjects parents could expect their first year children could learn from the school.
One subject was about this republic, its content reminding me of that geography book. And I realized that our grade school pupils now do not seem to know much about their country as much as we did in our time.
No wonder my school wards do not even know how many towns there are in the province of Cebu, or the number of its component cities. Where is Taal volcano located? And what about Canlaon, which is just across the Tanon Strait from our town?
But drop a show biz name, and ask what tele-series he or she has appeared in, and you will get a quicker answer.
I wonder what utilitarian content the subjects offered in our high schools now have, ones that if students could not proceed to college he or she can still make use of towards designing a means of livelihood or that would enable him or her to manage a home.
The other day, I came upon one of the kids I am helping through high school looking so worried. When I inquired why she was so glum, she said she got only four correct answers out of ten on a quickie test given by her teacher.
And what was the test about? About parts of the typewriter! Her she was in first year high school, made to draw a typewriter and put names on its parts, then made to memorize the parts and answer questions. In an age of cell phones and laptops, she was tested on the typewriter.
Frankly, after having textbooks full of factual flaws, and having our schools challenged by radio and television serials for the attention and interest of our school youth, what sort of learning can our young brag about?
If our students cannot even tell who was elected their town mayor in the last elections, what chance do we have of ever having a responsible, nation-oriented citizenry a decade or so hence?
