I ASKED the little boy, now almost eight years old. “So, what do you think about your Mommy bringing you to school every morning, and your Mommy Ya picking you up in the afternoon for home?”
“I like it very much, Mommy Ya,” he answered. That warms my heart, of course, as I give him his sandwich and jug of water. He asked for 15 minutes more to play after school. By now, he’s one very hungry and thirsty little boy.
I pray, “Dear Lord, please don’t let him ever tire of going to school. His is a long journey.”
He’s a K-12 victim, as are his classmates and age peers. He’s been schooling since four years old, and is still in Grade 2. It took only two years for my classmates and me to reach Grade 2.
Yet I was lucky enough to avoid nursery and kindergarten, and Grade 7. So, at 20, I already had a college degree. This little boy will have his only at 22.
He’s expected to be more competitive as a global citizen by then. Or so our congressmen and country’s leaders say.
I still think, though, that the additional years are a waste of time. Most of a person’s success depends greatly on himself. Attitude determines altitude, and many an achiever’s story confirms this.
Which is why, since the K-12 is here to stay so far, I welcome the approval of Sen. Bam Aquino’s bill for free tuition in state and local colleges and universities (SUCs and LUCs), and government-run vocational schools.
Most especially because this will reenergize the big bulk of Filipinos and fuel their dreams to rise above their poverty and improve their quality of life.
For a while, the bill was resisted, particularly by the country’s economic managers--Carlos Dominguez of Finance, Benjamin Diokno of Budget, and Ernesto Pernia of Socioeconomic Planning--who certainly never experienced poverty since their birth.
Our economic managers must heed the report of the country’s own statiscits office--that though poverty incidence has declined from 2002 to 2015, poverty is, in fact, higher (18 %) among the employed sector as compared to the 16.4 % among the unemployed.
They believed that the Free Higher Education for All Act “benefits largely the non-poor students who predominate in SUCs.” Sen. Ralph Recto’s rebuttal, “But if a rising tide raises all ships, including the rich, then it should not be used as an argument against this measure,” was perfect.
Naturally, proper screening must be in place through the school’s admission protocols. Even in Germany where education is free from kinder to graduate school, applicants must pass aptitude tests.
Over here, the schools sending their graduates and the receiving institutions (in Region 7, the Cebu Normal University, Cebu Technological University, Bohol Island State University, Negros Oriental State University, and Siquijor State University) must be ready with their team of school counselors.
For students to succeed in college, all leaders throughout the education pipeline must work together to keep them intentional and moving forward.