moving out

Getting ready to move in to my new dorm, bound for another reset. Didn't realize until now that two prayers were answered pala - (1) the request for housing which I've been praying and waiting for since August, and (2) the reset which I didn't consciously pray for, but quietly desired in my heart. Praise God for new beginnings! He never runs out of them.

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Wisdom in Simple Things

FB status: Crystal Llante fixed her favorite old pair of black slacks. It's now as good as new. 

I was already about to cut it into pieces so I can make use of the cloth for cleaning my new room tomorrow. I thought the hole was too big, and that I don't have the sewing skills to save it. Still, I thought it was worth a try. And I'm happy I did. 

But remember my old but favorite gray pencil case that I had fixed many times but still kept getting broken? I knew I could still fix it one more time; my attachment to it had willed me to not give up. But finally, yesterday, I threw it away. Now, I don't have to feel sad everytime I see it. And I've also realized - I now have more space in my cabinet.

Letting go - because it's actually different from giving up - can give such a sense of peace and freedom, leaving little room for regrets...

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I got a perfect score for this write-up. 40/40. :)

With all the points presented in the discussion paper, I definitely support DepEd’s enhanced K+12 Basic Education Program.  Indeed the immediate implementation of this program beginning SY 2012-2013 is a bold step that the Aquino Administration will take. Apprehensions on the rationale of the program are overshadowed by a more significant question: Are we ready for implementation?  We are very familiar with the concerns raised regarding the inadequacy of available facilities, teachers, instructional materials, and even curricular preparation to accommodate the program.  Undeniably, all these concerns are valid, and they point out our lack of readiness for this change.

But if not now, when?

Will we ever be “ready enough”?

Instead of focusing our attention on these hindrances to successful educational reforms and be stuck with discouragement and hopelessness for our educational system forever, I say that we go down to business – be proactive and not just reactive. I believe that all these reported inadequacies can be addressed simultaneously with the preparations needed for the implementation of the program. Afterall, we still have several months of preparation to maximize. I believe we still have time to choose and purchase appropriate textbooks given that there are already good ones available. We even have enough time to ask for financial assistance from other countries that have always willing to help; we just have to connect with the right people. In fact, locally, I believe we have all witnessed how the alumni have always been willing to put together resources to provide for the immediate needs of their alma mater. Moreover, with the ongoing consultations, and with the resourcefulness and creativity of Filipino educators, I believe that any problem on curriculum development and implementation can be sufficiently and promptly addressed. We might not have enough trained teachers, but surely, there are many potential teachers out there who can be utilized after sufficient intensive training workshops before the school year starts. Trainers may be limited, but they can always be mobilized in such a way that the transmission of learning and equipping is fast and efficient. The key is to come up with a good system of organization with all the stakeholders sticking their necks out for the success of the program.  

The point is – we can always do something with whatever little we have. We’ve got to start somewhere, and we can always start with what we have. It may not yield the best results yet, but the first step is the one that makes all the difference.  It is already a blessing that the implementation of the K+12 program will be phased; at least, we only have the new curriculum for the Grade 1 and the Junior High School Students to prioritize this coming school year.  In my opinion, the schematic presentation of the K-6-4-2 implementation mode is feasible given the available resources – no matter how limited – we have at hand. Consequently, with the creation of an efficient Task Force, active stakeholder consultations, continuous financial studies, regular curriculum review and enhancement, and the provision for necessary legislations, I see that a smooth transition towards the vision of the Enhanced K+12 Basic Education Program is very achievable.

The discussion paper enumerated several studies that have recommended additional years in primary and secondary education such as in the enhanced K+12 Basic Education Program.  We see that the earliest problems reported in the Monroe Survey in 1925 are still reflected in our present educational system, and that the additional years of basic education have been recommended over and over again even after several inconsistent attempts of implementation. The problems remain, and the solution proposed years ago has yet to be justly materialized.

We all desire reform in our educational system, but if we want this to be a reality, we’ve got to start somewhere, and we’ve got to start now. We look at best practices, and we clearly see that countries with additional years in the basic education program are recognized as the more superior institutions. This report practically shouts out that something needs to be done: Out of UNESCO’s 155 member countries, only three continue to retain a 10-year pre-university education system. The Philippines is among these three; in fact, we are the only in Asia. The fact that we have to take on the “K+12 Challenge” can’t be more obvious.

With these, I cannot agree with DepEd any more than I do now.

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