Recently, the 2018 Programme for International Student Assessment (Pisa) global education survey yielded its survey results and revealed that 65 percent of Filipino students who participated in the study had experienced bullying at least a few times in month. The average result from among the 79 countries that participated in the survey is only 23 percent.
The result is quite alarming for parents who have their children at school and are susceptible to bullying if the results of the survey is to be considered. The participants in the survey are quite many and if our country had the high 65 percent result, parents as well as government officials should raise the alarm.
This perhaps prompted Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, chairman of the Senate Committee in Basic Education, Arts and Culture to call on the Department of Education to be aware on what is happening at schools particularly on bullying and to enforce measures that shall abate if not totally stop bullying among students.
The lawmaker has also pointed out that bullying might be one among the reasons why the same survey has revealed that the Philippines had the lowest ranking in Reading and second to the lowest in Science. These results are indicators that we have a dwindling quality of education in the country.
Reading is a basic subject in education. It is a major key in studying and understanding other subjects. It’s a major foundation and a pillar to pursuing other basic and advance studies. It’s lamentable to know such results considering that the country is well-known for quality education. Proof to this is the fact that many foreign countries have their children studying here in the country.
On the bullying results, the Senator likewise stressed the importance of values education in schools that shall effectively help in addressing the bullying problems in the country. Of course, parents should also help in the values formation of children starting in their homes.
The government should act on these bullying and the low ranks we had in Reading and Science subjects. After all, education is still the key to growth and development of a country.
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The Giant Lantern Festival held last Saturday was as spectacular as in the previous years. The event never misses to draw crowds that are amazed with the size and the kaleidoscopic play of colors, shapes and design of the lanterns. The festival, over the years, is giving the City of San Fernando as well as the province of Pampanga the identity of having very talented craftsmen in the field of lantern-making which can be considered not only a source of livelihood but also an art.
The mall grounds where the annual activity was held was jam-packed with local as well as tourists from other provinces and abroad. This means that people are continuously being awed and inspired by these lanterns. Congratulations to Barangay Sta. Lucia.