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Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Opening of classes in C. Visayas 'smooth'
By Elisabeth P. Baumgart and Katrina A. Balmaceda
Correspondents
CEBU CITY -- About 90 percent of the expected 1.3 million students showed up in schools all over Central Visayas Tuesday, yet no major problems were reported to the Department of Education (DepEd) 7 office.
"We have monitored the opening of classes in the 18 divisions. I called up all of them. The response was very satisfactory," said DepEd 7 Director Carolino Mordeno.
Arroyo Watch: Sun.Star blog on President Arroyo
Based on reports from all 18 divisions, the classes started in an "smoothly and orderly" fashion, and Mordeno said this was "because we prepared our schools three weeks ago and we coordinated with the different government agencies to make sure of their collaboration in the opening of classes."
Because schools may still accept late enrollees until the month is over, the full extent of the public schools' challenges -- including the lack of teachers, rooms or chairs -- wasn't visible yet Tuesday.
No more fees
One shortage the DepEd welcomed was the absence of complaints about teachers collecting fees from students. Mordeno said they stood firm on their decision that they will immediately suspend teachers caught collecting fees from public school students.
Mordeno also assured that this school year, DepEd 7 has received about 500 additional teacher items to address the teacher shortage in the region.
DepEd 7 Assistant Director Recaredo Borgonia admitted Tuesday that with some teachers still on leave, the organization of classes will be affected.
But Cebu City Schools Division Superintendent Dr. Lorna Rances assured that even though some teachers may be on leave, there are still enough substitute teachers around to fill in for them.
"There is currently a training of non-specialized teachers," Borgonia said, to address the reported shortage of English and math teachers in the region.
Mr. Palengke visits
As formal flag ceremonies sounded the national anthem in schools all over Cebu on Tuesday, Senator. Mar Roxas joined the flag ceremony of Cebu City's Guadalupe Elementary School, singing the national anthem along with nearly 5,000 students.
The pupils lined up under the heat of the sun for about 30 minutes for the flag ceremony and the short program held in honor of the senator. They also welcomed Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña and Guadalupe Barangay Captain Eugenio Faelnar.
In an interview with reporters after the ceremony, Roxas expressed his agreement with the call of youth groups for the government to spend six percent of the gross national product (GNP) for education, if not more.
"At six percent, we are only at par with other countries in Southeast Asia. We need a little bit more than that," Roxas said. He said that spending on education, however, should be done in a "more useful way," focusing on technology, textbooks and teachers.
In his speech before the students, Osmeña expressed displeasure over the location of the school's flagpole because it required the students to face the sun during the flag ceremony.
"Every day, you have to stay in the heat and make sacrifices because somebody doesn't care how you feel," Osmeña said. He added that he would request for the transfer of the flagpole to the other end of the quadrangle.
"It's okay, if the City Government will provide us with another flagpole," Guadalupe Elementary School principal Victoria Mansueto said in a separate interview, adding that the present flagpole could not be torn down.
The flagpole was placed where it was because a flagpole is supposed to be taller than the building behind it. She also added that the morning's flag ceremony had been delayed only because of the senator's visit and that on normal days, they hold their flag ceremony before the weather gets hot.
Osmeña ended his speech on a positive note, though, asking the students to "think about your parents (and) all the sacrifices they are making."
Roxas also left his own challenge to the children.
"Take your studies seriously...Stay in school. Help your teachers teach you," the senator said. (Sun.Star Cebu)
For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Bacolod. (June 11, 2008 issue)
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