To respond to what ails our educational system, stakeholders must focus on the teachers.
In its State of Philippines Education Report 2023, the nongovernment organization Philippine Business for Education (PBEd) noted the poor performance of the country in large-scale international assessments (ILSAs), such as the Program on International Student Assessment (Pisa), the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), and the Southeast Asia Primary Learning Metrics (SEA-PLM).
Even before the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic caused major disruptions in all nations, the country already faced a “significant learning crisis,” notes the PBEd, pointing out that in implementing “transformative changes” to improve our youths’ learning, all stakeholders are called to step forward: “students, parents, teachers, school leaders, government officials, and industry partners.”
To help an educational system that produces nine out of 10 children aged 10 years who cannot read simple texts, the PBEd said that its State of Philippines Education Report 2023 is based on consultations around the nation with 300 stakeholders, with about 2/3 coming from the public sector.
Topping the list of “most pressing issues” confronting the educational system is the mental health of learners and mentors, including parents. The pandemic’s “prolonged lockdown” and “lack of face-to-face classes” created novel and complex situations, for which the stakeholders were ill-prepared to face.
Students, parents, and teachers consulted by PBed said that frustration, anxiety, and depression were some of the negative consequences triggered by the online or blended learning modalities instituted by the pandemic.
“In Cagayan de Oro, teen suicide is a very serious issue the city is grappling with as there have been multiple suicides and suicide attempts,” noted the PBEd in emphasizing the need to treat mental health as a pressing concern for educational stakeholders.
Unable to seek counselling or debriefing during the lockdowns, youths may have resorted to self-healing, repression or denial, the implications of such remaining a pressing concern in these current times.
The resumption of face-to-face classes does not erase these disruptions and their effects and impact on a generation of youths that are the so-called pandemic batches.
While many parents think they may now step back from the homeschooling arrangements brought about by the lockdowns, teachers must still deal with the rising responsibilities of becoming the first responders in school to observe, reach out, and assist their students, who must deal with the resumption of rising academic demands and institutional standards, as well as their vulnerability to harassment and bullying.
Are teachers trained to become first responders? In emergencies, before professionals can intervene, first responders are trained to assist the victims or vulnerable persons to deal with stress or trauma for immediate recovery and long-term healing.
Furthermore, due to their proximity to handling dilemmas concerning their students’ mental health, teachers also need another training to enable them to process their own experiences and emotions so that they can recover and continue to reach out and assist their students.
Suicide, self-harm, public shaming, discrimination against gendered others, sexual harassment, and bullying are classroom lived realities for many youths. Not being able to confront and defeat these demons will not just make a difference in a young person’s academic performance but extend to his or her life.
How prepared are our teachers to deal with today’s classrooms?
Before their academic performance, our student’s mental health and our teacher’s preparedness to become first responders should be our priorities.