Bullying in School, Might Makes Right

The first known use of might makes right in the English language was in 1846 by the American pacifist and abolitionist Adin Ballou (1803–1890), who wrote, "But now, instead of discussion and argument, brute force rises up to the rescue of discomfited error, and crushes truth and right into the dust. 'Might makes right,' and hoary folly totters on in her mad career escorted by armies and navies." (Christian Non-Resistance: In All Its Important Bearings, Illustrated and Defended, 1846.) 

The phrase in reverse is echoed in Abraham Lincoln's words in his February 26, 1860, Cooper Union Address ("Let us have faith that right makes might, and in that faith, let us, to the end, dare to do our duty as we understand it") in his attempt to defend a policy of neutral engagement with those who practised slavery, perhaps to appear more nationally oriented and religiously convicted in hopes of winning the presidential election later that year (which he did).

-http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Might_makes_right

A 14-year old student dies after being punched in the head by another student in Batangas (http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/video/nation/regions/08/03/12/punch-head-kills-bullied-hs-student). Across the seas, just a few months ago, the suicide of a 15-year old high school student in New Jersey has been linked to bullying in school (http://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/Lennon-Baldwin-Morristown-NJ-Death-Investigation-145189875.html).

In New Jersey, a bill called "Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights" was passed almost a year ago and signed into law this past January. This law now requires training of school staff on how to prevent bullying among students. Each school is likewise required to identify certain employees as dedicated anti-bullying coordinators. And, of course, schools are now obliged to investigate and report all accusations of bullying. Sadly, the New Jersey law, called as the toughest anti-bullying law in the United States, did not prevent the death of the 15-year old high school student.

In the Philippines, there is now a proposed "Anti-Bullying Law":

To watch the above video, visit
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/video/insights/08/03/12/punto-por-punto-anti-bullying-bill-panahon-na#ooid=s4MXRqNTpscbT1JYJ_0pbQpTLGtsKO8N

Some of Benjo Basas' comments in the above video are worth reiterating: Bullying is dependent on who the parents are. I also went through Philippine schools and it was true then that no one would dare to bully a son or daughter of a policeman. Even as little children, we already knew what power was. 

Congressman Palatino' recent article on his blog talks about a different issue: Beyond Legislation: Ending Torture in the Philippines. Yet, this may just be the adult version of the same problem. And as the title implies, solutions to the problem are so much beyond just writing and passing new laws. 

"Might makes right" is part of the problem and it runs deep in the veins of our society. We do not subscribe to discussions. We do not truly appreciate what consultation means. We want to silence opposition. In transactions and deals, what usually is important is not what you know but who you know. Influence and power seem to be absolutely necessary for anything to get done. Flor Lacanilao continuously points out the lack of published individuals holding positions of influence and authority in the Philippines. Perhaps, submitting to peer review is really the opposite of "might makes right". 

Our children are reflections of ourselves. Bullying in school is a reflection of what is happening in society. "But now, instead of discussion and argument, brute force rises up to the rescue of discomfited error, and crushes truth and right into the dust...."

Community Involvement in Public Schools

It takes a village to raise a child. Does it also take the entire community to educate the young? True. Brigada Eskwela, as described in this blog, provides pictures of hope and optimism. I wrote in that article:

"The sense of where reforms should come from is quite clear. And the photos demonstrating how much a community cares for its schools is a testament that improvements in basic education can begin from the ground. Flexibility is important as it allows for the community to build on its existing good practices and innovation. Herein lies the importance of keeping the national curriculum for schools as lean as possible, offering only a general set of guidelines for schools to follow. Such empowers the teachers in each classroom, each principal in each school, to develop in greater specifics a school-based curriculum. The community can only take ownership of its schools with responsibility. And responsibility can not be cultivated in a culture marked with policies and orders always handed down from a central authority. Decisions regarding the curriculum must take place inside the school and not from a far-away office within the national government if a "Schools First" initiative is desired. Communities are capable of taking the challenge, but the challenge must not end with just supporting the facilities for education. Communities must likewise be empowered to take part in the actual education of its members. Through these, there is reason for optimism."

In more than one way, "Brigada Eskwela" engages the community.  This is the good side of "privatizing" public schools. It is a genuine partnership since the members of the community are likewise stakeholders. Most of these are the parents of the children who attend school and their work is purely voluntary. "Privatizing" public schools, however, can take a different route. Though uplifting education may still be a driving force, there are other motivations and reasons for the private sector to participate. Education historian and New York University Professor Diane Ravitch views privatization of public schools as "opening up public education as a prime marketplace where entrepreneurs can pursue new business opportunities and make money." Ravitch recently raised this concern as the United States moves forward toward developing a common core across all states. Establishment of common standards and tests enables a large scaling of learning materials, which is particularly lucrative in the eyes of business.

Huffington Post recently published an article: "Privatizing Public Schools: Big Firms Eyeing Profits from US K-12 Market".  Investors are apparently excited with the opportunities coming their way with the introduction of new standards for US public schools. Before, each school district in the US pretty much decided the curriculum content. Then, each state came up with their own standards. With a common core across all states, "investors are signaling optimism that a golden moment has arrived.... The goal: an education revolution in which public schools outsource to private vendors such critical tasks as teaching math, educating disabled students, even writing report cards."


Business can be good for public schools. It comes with a sense of efficiency in terms of cutting costs. However, business with its focus on making profits can undermine the real purpose of education:

"This is a new frontier," Ravitch said. "The private equity guys and the hedge fund guys are circling public education." 

Some of the products and services offered by private vendors may well be good for kids and schools, Ravitch said. But she has no confidence in their overall quality because "the bottom line is that they're seeking profit first." 

Vendors looking for a toehold in public schools often donate generously to local politicians and spend big on marketing, so even companies with dismal academic results can rack up contracts and rake in tax dollars, Ravitch said. 

"They're taking education, which ought to be in a different sphere where we're constantly concerned about raising quality, and they're applying a business metric: How do we cut costs?" Ravitch said.

It is useful to note what US investors currently see as promising areas of business in public school education. One is the use of information communication and technology, specifically the development of software which can do some of the tasks that teachers do. Unlike in the Philippines, teachers in the US demand a much substantial salary. Replacing teachers with computer programs will therefore reduce significantly labor costs. Here is a quote from the founder of Princeton Review: "How do we use technology so that we require fewer highly qualified teachers?"  Highly qualified teachers not only demand high salaries, but also expensive and time-intensive preparations and training in higher education.

Downloaded from  http://forpubliced.blogspot.com/2011/01/got-dough-public-school-reform-in-age.html

There are several online learning platforms now available in the US, each one providing automated services on writing and grading quizzes, giving feedback to students, and generating report cards. DreamBox Learning, one of the players in this new arena of electronic classrooms, takes a step further by providing software that can analyze a student's current standing or abilities to tailor specifically questions in math to drill the student. If teachers are the biggest contributor to the costs of public school education, why not? And if the lack of qualified teachers impedes progress in public schools then software maybe the solution. Compared to Finland, this approach is exactly the opposite. United States does not score anywhere near Finland's in international tests. This is the bottom line in education, quite different from the point of view of business. Business looks primarily at cost efficiency. Public school education must remain focused on quality.

Building classrooms remains attractive. There are ways to cut costs and make profit in construction. They can even overprice:

Salceda says classrooms in DepEd plan overpriced

The cost of classrooms to be built by private contractors under a public-private partnership program (PPP) of the Department of Education (DepEd) is double that of the cost pegged by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), according to Albay Gov. Joey Salceda....http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/242727/salceda-says-classrooms-in-deped-plan-overpriced 

But as soon as classrooms are built, the business stops there. The curriculum, on the other hand, offers so much more. Learning materials, assessment tools, and electronic platforms can be gifts that keep on giving....

Pahayag ng Alliance of Concerned Teachers

Aquino ipinapagtuloy ang "dekada ng pagpapabaya" ni GMA sa sektor ng edukasyon!  K to 12 hindi solusyon, Ibasura!

Pahayag ng Alliance of Concerned Teachers

July 23, 2012 

Grabeng paglala sa krisis ng edukasyon ang idinulot ng walang kaparis na pagpapabaya dito ng nakaraang rehimeng Macapagal-Arroyo. Ito ang minana ng administrasyong Aquino kay GMA. Tinawag ito ng Aliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) na "Nawaldas na Dekada" ng kawalan ng pag-unlad at lalong pagkabulok ng edukasyon sa Pilipinas.

Hinamon ng  mga guro at kawani ng sector ng edukasyon at sambayanang Pilipino  si Aquino na tuparin ang kanyang mga pangako na sa  kagyat ay maglunsad ng mga hakbang upang mabawi ang nawaldas na dekadang ito at magsagawa ng mga pundamental na reporma sa buong sistemang pang-edukasyon.  Nararapat lamang na bigyan ng pangunahing tuon ang pagiging abot-kamay ng lahat ang edukasyon.

Pinakamayor sa ating mga hamon ang pangangailangan  na dapat  talikuran ang mga patakarang neoliberal ng denasyunalisasyon, pribatisasyon, deregulasyon, at liberalisasyon sa edukasyon. Kailangang tiyakin ang katangiang pambansa, siyentipiko at pangmasa ng edukasyon para sa mamamayan .Inihanay din natin  natin ang mga prayoridad sa larangan ng edukasyon na dapat harapin ni Pangulong Aquino

Bigyan ng pinakamataas na prioridad sa pambansang badyet ang edukasyon ayon sa nakasaad sa Saligang Batas.

Tiyakin na makatatapos ng elementarya at hayskul ang lahat ng kabataan.

• Ipatupad ang libreng preschool para sa lahat.
• Doblehin ang bilang ng mga hayskul sa buong kapuluan.

Gawing abot-kaya ang edukasyon sa antas kolehiyo.

• Itigil ang pribatisasyon at komersyalisasyon ng mga State Universities and Colleges.
• Paglaanan ang mga ito ng sapat na pondo.
• Ipatupad ang regulasyon sa mga pribadong paaralan.

Punuan ang mga kakulangan sa guro, klasrum, libro, at iba pang rekursong pampaaralan. Isulong ang edukasyong pambansa at siyentipiko

Palakasin  ang pagtutuo ng makabayang kasaysayan at kultura at paglilingkod sa sambayan sa kurikulum, at  Itaguyod ang paggamit ng  wikang Filipino at mga lokal na wika at isulong ang angkop na paraan ng pagtuturo

Iayon ang sistema ng edukasyon sa mga pangangailangan ng pambansang industriyalisasyon at modernisasyon ng agrikultura.

Itaguyod ang karapatan at kagalingan ng mga guro at kawani sa edukasyon.

• Itaas sa Salary Grade 15 ang mga pampublikong guro at itumbas dito ang suweldo ng mga pampribadong guro.
• Pondohan nang sapat at ipatupad ang Magna Carta for Public School Teachers.
• Irespeto ang  job security ng kaguruan. Ipatupad ang mahigpit na regulasyon sa kontraktwal-isasyon sa sektor ng edukasyon.

Itigil ang mga pampulitikang pamamaslang! Ibasura ang Oplan Bayanihan

Hustisya para kina Napoleon Pornasdoro, Vitoria Samonte, Mark Francisco, at iba pang biktima ng paglabag sa karapatang pantao!

Napakalinaw ng nilalaman ng Agenda ng Mamamayan sa Edukasyon. Nakatuntong sa katotohanan ang husga ng mga guro at ng sektor sa edukasyon kung bakit bagsak ang ibinigay na grado kay Aquino sa pagtatapos ng ikalawang taon ng kanyang  panunungkulan bilang Pangulo  Sa mga kritikal inputs sa edukasyon, lumala pa ito dahil sa programang  K to 12 na mali ang oryentasyon, minadali , walang kalidad at dagdag na pahirap sa esensya.

Ang pwersahan at iresponsableng pagpapatupad ni PNoy ng K to 12 ay pagsunod lamang sa mga dikta ng dayuhang monopolyong bangko, korporasyon at gobyerno sa larangan ng edukasyon. Patuloy ang krisis sa shortages sa bilang ng mga teachers, classrooms, chairs, textbooks, instructional materials, water & sanitation facilities, atbp. na ibayong pinalala ng pwersahan at iresponsableng pagpapatupad ng K to 12 ni PNoy.

Mula sa pinakahuling tala ng Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT), 132,483 ang kakulangan sa teachers, 97,685 ang tinatayang kakulangan sa classrooms, at 153,709 ang kakulangan sa mga sanitation facilities ngayong akademikong taon.

Ngayung  2012, naglaan ang rehimeng Aquino ng P239 bilyon para sa DepEd, katumbas ng P7/araw para sa isang estudyante. Sapat lamang ito para tugunan ang 27% ng pangangailangan para sa bagong mga klasrum, 20% ng kakulangan ang mahigit P100 bilyon na kinakailangan para sa dagdag na gastos para sa programang K to 12.

Ang net elementary participation rates ay patuloy na bumagsak mula sa 90.1% noong 2002 pababa sa 88.1% nitong 2010. Ayon mismo sa DepEd, mula sa 100 Grade 1 students, 66 lamang ang nakakatapos at 58 lamang ang nakakapasok sa high school; 43 lamang ang nakakatapos ng high school at 23 ang nagtutuloy sa kolehiyo, samantalang 10 ang kumukuha na lang ng vocational. 14 mula sa 23 college students at 7 lamang sa 10 vocational students ang makakapagtapos.

Ibayo ring palalalain ng K to 12 ang unequal access to education sa pagitan ng mahirap at mayaman. Noong 2007, sa elementary ay 91.8% ang participation rate mula mayayamang pamilya, samantalang 85.9% naman mula sa mahihirap na pamilya; sa high school naman ay 76.5% mula sa mayayamang pamilya, habang 51.4% naman mula sa mahihirap na pamilya.

Sa pamamagitan ng K to 12 ay pwersahan nang ipinapatupad ni PNoy ang anti-guro at mapagsamantalang iskema nito ng malawakang kontraktwalisasyon sa pamamagitan ng pagkuha at paggamit sa 20,000 volunteer kinder teachers na pasasahurin lamang ng P3,000 per class sa isang buwan. Sukdulan itong pagsasamantala sa mga volunteer teachers na ang pasahod ay mas mababa pa ng 4 na beses sa tinakda ng minimum wage law.

Napakababa rin ang target badyet ni PNoy para sa edukasyon para sa 2013 hanggang 2017 na lumalaro lamang sa 2.7% hanggang 3.3% sa maksimum ng GDP. Isa itong napakalinaw na indikasyon na wala talagang kaseryosohan si PNoy sa pagreporma ng edukasyon at talagang walang kalidad itong K to 12 ni PNoy.

Sa pamamagitan ng K to 12 ni PNoy, ang sistema ng edukasyon ay itinutugma sa mga pangangailangang itinakda ng mga dayuhang multinasyunal na bangko’t kompanya.Nakabalangkas ito sa patakaran ng neoliberalismo at imperyalistang globalisasyon na malaon nang napatunayang bangkarote at kontra-kaunlaran.

Sa K to 12 ni PNoy, ang sistema ng edukasyon sa Pilipinas ay patuloy pa ring gagamitin upang sanayin ang mga batang Pilipino para maging di mauubusang balon ng mura at supil na semi-skiled at skilled na lakas-paggawa at ng papalaki pang hukbo ng mga binabarat na unemployed o underemployed na lakas-paggawa ng mga nagsasabwatang lokal at dayuhang bangko’t korporasyon.

Patuloy ring magsisilbi itong K to 12 ni PNoy sa programa ng pag-eeksport ng lakas-paggawa bilang makitid na solusyon sa malawak na problema ng disempleyo at sa desperadong pagsandig ng gobyerno sa dollar remittances ng lumolobong bilang ng mga OFWs. Kaya talagang nakadepende lamang sa mga pangangailangan at kapritso ng pandaigdigang merkado

Sa  mga nailantad na nating mga kakulangan at walang paghahanda ng gobyernong Pnoy, malinaw na  ang kanyang K12 ay para sa  kapakinabangan ng dayuhang  kapital ,  malaking bilang ng mga  kabataan  na mura at sikil ang lakas paggawa.

Bahagi ito ng neoliberal na polisiya ng dayuhang kapital na hitik sa krisis na maghanap ng murang trabahador para magkamal ng super-ganansyang tubo.

Ubos kaya nating himukin,pukawin at pakilusin ang malawak na bilang  ng  mga mag-aaral,magulang at nga guro kasama ng sambayanan para irehistro ang ating pagtutol at paglaban sa nagbagong disenyo lamang  ng imperyalismo sa edukasyon para panatilihin ang lipunang malakolonyal at malapyudal.

Hanggang hindi nareresolba ang kahirapan at pagiging atrasado ng ekonomya; hanggang walang tunay na repormang agraryo at pambansang industriyalisasyon; at, hanggang naghahari ang korapsyon at kabulukan ng pulitika at mga pulitikong nagsisilbi lamang sa interes ng mga nagsasabwatang malalaking lokal at dayuhang monopolyong bangko, korporasyon at gubyerno – mananatiling makadayuhan, walang kalidad at pahirap lamang sa mga guro, mag-aaral at magulang ang K to 12 ni PNoy at ang kanyang gubyerno.

Sabay sabay nating itambol at ipanawagan ang mga sumusunod para makamit ang nararapat na kalidad ng edukasyong para sa mamamayan at bayan.

• IBASURA ang Makadayuhan, Walang Kalidad, at Dagdag Pahirap na K12 ni PNoy! IPAGLABAN ang Makabayan, Siyentipiko, Pangmasa at Libreng Edukasyon! 
• ACT to UPGRADE SALARIES of TEACHERS & EMPLOYEES!
• NO to CONTRACTUALIZATION of TEACHERS & EMPLOYEES!
• NO to PRIVATIZATION & COMMERCIALIZATION of EDUCATION!
• ACT for GREATER EDUCATION BUDGET! 6% of GDP!

Problems Beyond Education

A critical attitude is important. The problems the Philippines faces as a nation are challenging. To sugarcoat the current conditions is a denial one cannot afford at these times. And the problems extend far beyond education.

Flor Lacanilao recently shared the following in a forum of Philippine scientists:

...Persistent problems include poverty, fast population growth, poor basic education, resource overexploitation, environment degradation, graft and corruption, and common crimes.  

I have explained that those problems are interrelated, forming vicious circles of cause-and-effect. For example, poverty is partly due to corruption; corruption, partly due to poverty. The same relation exits between poverty and overpopulation; and between overpopulation and poor basic education. The interrelated vicious circles constitute a complex national problem, which every past administration had tried to solve but failed. (See "Only science can solve poverty," Philippine Daily Inquirer or PDI, 6/21/2007.) 

In 2010, at the start of his term, I posted at online science forums a reminder, calling the attention of President Aquino -- that corruption is not the main cause of poverty. And that stopping corruption will not end poverty. It was then time to educate the public -- for the President to address the true causes of national problems. He should at least be able in 6 years to put in place the established essentials of sustainable growth. 

In that commentary, I also said, "Studies abroad and our experience tell us that corruption and poverty form a vicious circle. Whereas honest leadership had reduced corruption and at least, perceived reduced poverty -- as was reminiscent of the time of President Magsaysay and President Cory -- we saw corruption and poverty mushroom again.” 

Our basic education problems are being similarly addressed.  It has become worse because their solution lies also elsewhere. Many studies, including those of Carl Wieman, Nobel laureate in physics, have shown that it is doubtful to make progress at the primary and secondary levels until a higher standard of science learning is set at higher education.  This and other reasons show why DepEd's K to 12 program is headed for failure (more in  "K+12 most likely to fail,"  PDI, 2/17/2012). 

In these two examples of addressing problems -- poverty and basic education -- failure is easily predictable. But it takes properly trained and experienced natural and social scientists to make such assessment. Many international studies have shown this. Hence, putting such right people in charge, or directly involved, in reform initiatives is another basic prerequisite to successful programs. It is critical in improving higher education and science ("Democratic governance impedes academic reform," PDI, 3/14/2011). 

The right people are those who have made major contributions to their respective fields of endeavor, as indicated by properly published works and citations. Important are papers in journals and citations listed in Science Citation Index or Social Sciences Citation Index.  Such properly published authors have the necessary expertise to evaluate information correctly.
The lack of such expertise among the wrong people in charge explains why, even with the advice of respected natural and social scientists, the decisions of those in charge -- based largely on personal opinion and common sense -- often prevailed.  

With the mounting global threats -- from terrorism, infectious diseases, and disasters from changing climate -- President Aquino must seriously consider putting more right people in charge. How to choose the right people is described in "Energy crisis and climate change" (PDI, 4/26/2012).

These are indeed problems that go beyond education. However, though education is only a part of the entire picture, it holds an important place in preparing Filipinos for the challenges ahead. With the recent flooding in parts of Luzon brought by a tropical storm, photos of flooding in Metro Manila, for example, are seen on the internet.

Roxas Boulevard flooded due to storm surge from Manila Bay
Downloaded from  http://www.facebook.com/YouScoopGMA

One can browse through the comments posted on internet news sites and almost each post mentions the problem of solid waste. No doubt, large urban regions like Metro Manila deal with serious solid waste issues. But garbage is only tangential to the real issue at hand. If one looks at pictures after a tornado touchdown in the United States, a large amount of debris is part of the picture. When Japan was hit by a tsunami, the pictures are likewise filled with wreckage and rubbish. When barges hit scores of shanties in Tondo, of course, the site showed scattered materials and fragments from the houses that were destroyed. One could imagine what sort of things are stored inside those shanties and what materials were used to build them. The debris coming from shanties are not going to be pretty. And New Orleans photos were likewise not enticing after Katrina brought sea water into that city.

Garbage is truly a problem. There is no argument about that, but when storm surges brings floods into coastal areas, the situation is so much more than garbage. No disciplined solid waste management system can address the problem of coastal flooding due to increase in sea level and land subsidence. Groundwater overuse by a demanding urban population, settlements built in hazardous areas, increase in the amount of rainfall brought by climate change, and rise in sea level are the real factors behind coastal flooding. Basic education may not help mitigate these problems but it can, at least, inform the people. Flor Lacanilao, in a plenary lecture given at a CHED National Conference on Research in Higher Education in 2009, said, "There is hardly anything the Philippines can do to prevent climate change. But we can increase our chances of survival by reducing poverty through improvements in research and education." Education can likewise prepare the people. Basic education can help people understand better the situation so that better decisions can be made.

According to a study funded by the World Wide Fund (WWF) for Nature , Manila is the third most vulnerable city in Asia to climate change:

Downloaded from http://awsassets.panda.org/downloads/mega_cities_report.pdf

"Sea-levels around Manila are also rising and an increase anywhere from 0.4 to 1.0 m by the end of century is expected, partially due to local subsidence and continued ground water extraction. This degree of change could displace over 2.5 million people and inundate over 5,000 ha of the Manila Bay coastal area. These risks will be further intensified if storm surges associated with intense storm activity increase. Coastal erosion is also increasing and is exacerbated by the increase in storms, beach sand mining, and destruction of coral reefs, mangroves and sand dunes."

Basic education may not solve climate change, but it can help change people's risk perception. The photo below shows the need for this change. To some, this maybe obvious, but the situation below is no different from building houses within high risk or danger zones.

Downloaded from  http://www.facebook.com/YouScoopGMA

Changing risk perception so that people clearly understand the situation is a good place to start and in this area, basic education can help. Basic education can lay out the facts and this alone is a good starting point.

DepEd K to 12: A Second Overview

First Overview.

The articles posted in this blog in the past month covered a wide range of issues regarding DepEd's K to 12. By now, it should be obvious that criticisms against DepEd's K to 12 do not merely claim that the program is bound to fail. Instead, much of the criticism points to the fact that DepEd's K to 12 is simply wrong. These criticisms should not be regarded as mere refusal to change, but informed voices showing that DepEd's K to 12 is the wrong way for the Philippine government to take. Here are the recent posts in this blog grouped according to their main message:


1. Teachers, Teachers, TEACHERS!

DepEd's K to 12 is a case of misplaced priorities. The new curriculum assumes that both length and content of basic education are the main determinants of the quality of basic education. DepEd's K to 12 focuses on the how, when and what should be taught inside the classrooms. Teachers are therefore regarded as mere channels for K to 12, not active contributors to the education of the youth. Several articles have been posted in this blog to highlight the importance of teachers in public education. Philippine basic education can not progress if the current plight of teachers is not addressed.

DepEd's K to 12 proponents point to comparison against other countries to justify the new curriculum, yet the glaring difference is missed. Successful education programs treat teachers with respect and a decent wage. In "DepEd's K to 12 Misses the Real Difference: Teacher Salaries", a strong case is made showing how underpaid teachers in the Philippines are compared to those of other countries. In "Teachers' Salaries: Key to Quality Education", a detailed analysis made by Israel, comparing its education with that of Finland, arrives at the same important conclusion: "Teacher salaries seem to explain Finnish students’ success, Israeli mediocrity". Benjo Basas of the Teachers Dignity Coalition explains the "Simple Mathematics" that the government fails to see in its pursuit of the new curriculum. Thus, although the national budget for education has been increasing, misplaced priorities mark "DepEd's K to 12 Fuzzy Math and Logic".

Whatever we do will not matter
as long as we continue to neglect our teachers.
Such is the simple math of basic education.

Teacher groups like the Alliance of Concerned Teachers continue to rally for better salaries as school bells rang in unison to bring awareness to their current predicament. The Teachers Dignity Coalition has issued a challenge to the Aquino government to attend to the needs of the teachers first, "This is the high time to discuss the pending bills on teachers’ salaries and this is far more important than the proposed K-12 program of the government." Even Microsoft's Bill Gates recognizes that "Working with Teachers is Rule Number One".  The fact that teachers groups are unhappy with the current programs of the Aquino administration is expressed in report cards issued that relay a failing mark for President Aquino ("Teachers retain FAILED remarks on PNoy's Report Card"). The rise of "Shadow Education" when teachers are underpaid is already a cause for alarm. Teachers in the Philippines, if given the support they need, can uplift Philippine basic education as related in "A Tale of Two Teachers". The commitment is there even in the voices of two child laborers who shared with us their dreams in "Who Here Wants to Be a Teacher?" Yet, these bells and voices were either not heard or were simply ignored.


2. DepEd's K to 12 Curriculum is NOT good.

Perhaps, by cutting to the chase and being one hundred percent clear, the message may finally get through. Several articles posted in this blog demonstrate the low quality of the curriculum:

• "DepEd's Take on Math and Science" exposes the wrong notion that math and science education are dependent on race and culture. Mathematics and the sciences are universal disciplines.
• "Inquiry Requires Immersion: Not a Spiral Approach" makes an argument against DepEd's K to 12 spiral curriculum in math and the sciences, and the absence of a formal subject of science in the early grades.
• "A Tale of Two Curricula" compares DepEd's K to 12 against the successful 9-year basic education curriculum of Finland. 
• "DepEd's Spiral Curriculum II" and "DepEd K to 12 Modules, For Sale?" examine in detail the chemistry component of DepEd's K to 12.
• "When Cooking Becomes Part of Schooling" describes how livelihood or home economics subjects can be integrated into basic education as opposed to the approach taken by DepEd's K to 12.
• "K+12, A Seemingly Inferior & Anti-people Program" talks about crucial weaknesses in DepEd's K to 12 curriculum.
• "Education for Life and Work: Developing Transferable Knowledge and Skills in the 21st Century" defines what 21st Century Learning is through the eyes of a developed country, and with this view, it is straightforward to see that the vision behind DepEd's K to 12 is dramatically different. Workers' unions in the Philippines are quick to point out that K to 12 is really "Education for Contractual Work". 
• "Mother Tongue Based - Multilingual Education : A Barrier to Cognitive Development?" reemphasizes the need to challenge students and that DepEd's K to 12 stressing "fun and enjoyable" is misguided.

3. The Right Principles that Should Guide Education Reform

A lot of the discussion on this angle have been borrowed from Finland's successful education reform. This successful reform did not happen overnight but took more than two decades since it was founded more on values and substance, and not on superficial aspects of education. "Quality Is Not in Numbers But in Substance" begins the discussion by going to the roots of quality basic education. "Classrooms: An Environment for Learning" maintains that changing a curriculum is a much easier easy task, but this does not translate directly to the education of the youth. The classrooms and the teachers in these classrooms do. "Remedial Education: A Bridge to Nowhere?" highlights the fact that if wrong education reforms are pursued, the cost is enormous since remedies often do not work. Giving K to 12 a chance to succeed allows for critical errors to be made, which will simply haunt Philippine basic education for years to come. "A Tale of Two Education Reforms" compares the vision of President Aquino against the values that made Finland's basic education the best in the world. This blog maintains that a good education must never compromise the goal of providing education for all in "Mothers picket DepEd QC, protest 10K homeschoolers...", "Education for All versus Individualized Learning", and "On Human Rights, Linguistic Rights, and Mother-Tongue Based Multilingual Education". 

Alternative frames of mind are needed to improve basic education in the Philippines. These viewpoints are shared in the following:

• "ICT and DepEd K to 12: Different Angles, Same Conclusion", in which the same conclusion is Teachers, Teachers, TEACHERS!
• "Focus First on the Early Years" emphasizes the importance of early childhood education. Kindergarten is the only redeeming element of DepEd's K to 12, but the government's current implementation of kindergarten is perfunctory and leaves very much to be desired.
• "DepEd K to 12: "Must Have" versus "Could Do" highlights the role that DepEd should take, that of an enabler and not a dictator of basic education.
• "Does DepEd Need PAGASA? A Tale of Two Visions" shares progressive visions for reforms in basic education in the Philippines and shows that these are currently opposite to those of DepEd's K to12.

Indeed, there are numerous articles to read. The Philippine Collegian has nicely provided an infographic "By the Dozen", and more than a year ago:

The fact that it will aggravate the financial burden of parents and that the Aquino proposed education budget cannot resolve the shortages even under the current 10-year system clearly explains the program's foolishness. The education budget clearly explains why the K-12 program is a stupid move. Education budgets for the past years were unable to resolve the ballooning shortages in basic education and with the current proposed budget under Aquino, the shortages will continue to balloon. Adding two years will just add salt to the already rotting wound of basic education.

—Ayla Garduce, The Daily Tribune

To expect change is indeed a faraway dream. But this blog will continue and stay, at least to keep reminding us of what we should really do for basic education.

OUR CHILDREN MUST BE IN SCHOOL NOT IN THE STREET.
- Manny Olalia Quemuel
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Does DepEd Need PAGASA? A Tale of Two Visions

Forecasting is difficult. There are so many variables necessary to predict the future. While the United States has the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the Philippines has the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA). One acronym sounds like a character from Genesis while the other is the Tagalog word for hope. This maybe appropriate since, for some, hope is actually a readiness to whatever may happen in the future. 

Downloaded from  http://www.facebook.com/YouScoopGMA 

Reforming education is in a way similar to the challenges faced by climate and weather forecasters. The phrase "21st Century Learning" connotes tailoring the schools to meet the anticipated needs of the new century. Education is indeed very much about the future. Reforming education thus requires a vision. DepEd's K to 12 is advertised as a response to what other countries have done with their basic education. The claim of being left behind by other countries forms the very first rationale for adding two more years at the end of high school. When I was preparing my first commentary on DepEd's K to 12, one of my former graduate students, who is now a postdoctoral fellow at the Weizmann Institute in Israel, cautioned me when I was about to use the phrase "a mile wide but only an inch deep", saying that this phrase might not be familiar to people in the Philippines. I wanted to use the phrase since it had been used to describe in general terms one of the biggest problems of K-12 education in the United States. Seeing the initial framework of DepEd's K to 12 made me think that the Philippines might just be jumping into the same problem. There is indeed something that is in the past and the present that helps in seeing the future. Similar to constructing homes, the past and the present tell us where the danger zones are and we should therefore not build in those areas.

Another instrument in forecasting is seeing a trend. In education reform, the question is what are other countries doing. John Merrow, an education reporter for the National Public Radio in the United States, maintains a blog called "Taking Note, Thoughts on Education from John Merrow". Much of the remaining points in this post are from his recent article entitled, "Schools Do Need a Weatherman" (of course, the title of his article also inspired the title of this post), where he introduced four programs that might describe the future of basic education in the United States. Each of the four programs describe an important vision. Each one is a possible road map, each one is expressing a value. Thus, it is useful to enumerate these programs and describe each one briefly:

A New Learning Objective for Basic Education.  John Merrow cites the works of Dr. James P. Comer of Yale University on school development, which has the following core beliefs:

• Child rearing, child development and learning are inextricably linked;
• Development starts early and must be a continuous process;
• Children's most meaningful learning occurs through positive and supportive relationships with caring and nurturing adults;
• Parents are children's first teachers;
• All parents, staff and community members, regardless of social or economic status, have an important contribution to make in improving students' education and their preparation for life; therefore
• Adults must interact collaboratively and sensitively with one another in order to bring out the best in children

Dr. James P. Comer on Student-Centered High School

A Comer's school is therefore designed not only to address pupils but the society in general. A Comer's school is actively engaged in helping the society by preparing its members for a family that is supportive of a child's growth, development and learning. This indeed sounds more like "responsible parenthood". 

Core Knowledge.  With this philosophy, developed by E.D. Hirsch, Jr., "Education for All" means recognizing that education has fundamentals, which all students should be given an opportunity to learn. This is the core, which is roughly half of the current K-12 curriculum of the United States. Core Knowledge is therefore described as the content and skills that should be addressed from kindergarten to grade 8:

To dowload, visit  http://www.coreknowledge.org/mimik/mimik_uploads/documents/480/CKFSequence_Rev.pdf 

Core Knowledge does address the problem of having a curriculum that is a "mile wide but only an inch deep". And in distilling the curriculum while adding depth and mastery, basic education can be achieved in nine years. 

Quality PreSchool. As a previous post, "Focus on the Early Years", pointed out, the United States is very much aware of the importance of early childhood education. And to reiterate, here is that quote from Kevin Drum of Mother Jones:

...Here you go. There are two big things we could do if we really wanted to improve our childrens' future: aggressively get rid of all the remaining lead in our soil and in old houses — all of it — and spend a bunch of money on high-quality early childhood interventions among poor and working-class families. If we don't think we have the money — an argument I'll put off to another day — we should take it out of the K-12 budgets. We'd be better off with 100% more pre-K and 20% less K-12 than we are with our current funding priorities....

The rationale is simple. One problem that basic education clearly faces is the gap that is already present among children on their first day of school. Such gap only widens with each grade level. Quality preschool addresses this initial gap. It is solving the problem before it gets bigger.

Removing the Last Two Years of High School. This is the punch line. John Merrow takes Kevin Drum's suggestion one step further. To provide the necessary funding for quality preschool, two years may be removed from high school. Merrow writes:

About 10% of high school students are taking college courses in Minnesota, New York and elsewhere. I would open up “early college” to anyone who’s motivated, because it’s a win-win all around. 

Eventually, in this approach, senior year will disappear, and perhaps junior year as well, as education becomes seamless. The savings should be used for pre-school programs.

And to support this, a special school in Texas is cited:

Learning Matters, Early College HS in South Texas Part 1

Learning Matters, Early College HS in South Texas Part 2

Contrast the above four visions against DepEd's K to 12. Congressman Palatino recently shared in his blog some contents of one of the new teaching modules. 

Under the household service TLE subject, children will learn about the professional code of conduct or ethics of a household worker. They will be taught how to ‘maintain a professional image’ as household workers. Other topics include ‘Desirable Traits of a Household Worker’ and ‘Duties and Responsibilities of a Household Worker.’ At the end of the semester, students will be able to identify and operate a vacuum cleaner, floor polisher, and other cleaning materials. The teaching module also gives valuable tips to K-12 students and future supermaids:

Household workers should not sexually harass clients. Sexual harassment includes sexual advances, sexual solicitation, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature. 

Household workers should not use derogatory language in their written or verbal communications to or about clients. 

When setting fees, Household workers should receive fee that are fair, reasonable, and commensurate with the services performed. Consideration should be given to clients’ ability to pay. 

Household workers should make reasonable efforts to ensure continuity of services in the event that services are interrupted by factors such as unavailability, relocation, illness, disability, or death. 

They should take reasonable steps to avoid abandoning clients who are still in need of services.

-From Congressman Palatino's  K-12: TESDA IN HIGH  SCHOOL

Another major difference is the Department's introduction of a perfunctory kindergarten program. And of course, the fact that DepEd's K to 12 vision is adding two years to basic education while those in the United States are beginning to think of removing two years. DepEd does need a "PAGASA" to help it determine which direction the wind is really blowing.

On Human Rights, Linguistic Rights, and Mother-Tongue Based Multilingual Education

These words are huge and complex. Each one represents a value, an expression of importance. These are supposedly beacons to guide priorities. Justice, one of the seven values that guided Finland's education reform, is another big word. And in Pasi Sahlberg's words, this entailed "Attaining the goal of offering equal opportunities to a quality education for all has required creating and maintaining a socially just school network."

"Education for All" encompasses all the words in the title of this post. It is the yardstick that must be used to gauge education reforms in the Philippines, including DepEd's K to 12. It must be the primary objective, the rule that should set priorities. When DepEd spends money, time and effort on advertising its new curriculum in shopping malls, one should ask if these efforts are indeed in line with the priorities set by "Education for All".  When DepEd institutes the use of the mother tongue as medium of instruction, one must ask if this is a genuine effort for inclusive education. When DepEd jumps into new approaches, one must ask if basic needs have been provided first.

Leo Ortega Laparan II has been writing a series of article in the Manila Bulletin describing the current situation of schools in the northern islands of the Philippines. The latest in this series talks about Cadadalman Elementary School in Camiguin Norte Island. There are overcrowded classes, lack of textbooks, and poor facilities. The head teacher had the following to share:

“We even use the backstage to hold Grade 4 classes. For that, schoolchildren would have to endure the heat… even us teachers. At present, we lack a school building because of the Preparatory (referring to Kindergarten) classes, which became mandatory effective last year. That makes it seven years for us now. The kids won’t be allowed to enter Grade 1 without taking Prep. That’s why the room that you saw earlier was divided into two. We just chose the best room in terms of safety to ensure the wellbeing of the little children.” 

 The situation in Camiguin Elementary School is no different, as reported earlier in this series by Laparan. Classrooms no longer have ceilings and walls are cracked. Pupils hold umbrellas to keep themselves dry when it rains since their rooms no longer protect them from the elements. With regard to textbooks, as many as ten pupils share one copy and for science in Grade 3, for instance, a 1985 edition is still in use. These stories from the north do highlight the shortages Philippine schools continue to face. Although these islands are indeed remote, one must not be blind to the shortages in schools that are in the neighborhood of the Congress as well as in the public schools near the national offices of the Department of Education. It is a question of priorities, do we put up a display or presentation of K to 12 in the shopping malls or do we send books to Camiguin first?

Inclusive education is a high priority. The rationale behind mother tongue education partly rests on pupils' basic rights. This is in addition to preserving and nurturing cultural heritage. In a recently held International Conference on Teacher Education, Prof. Romylyn Metila of the UP College of Education presented a paper on “The Role of Teacher Education in Championing Linguistic Human Rights (LHR) and Effective Language Learning through Multilingual Education (MLE): A Fight for Fairness”. In the presentation, Metila stressed the need to examine closely the provisions of policies aimed at addressing linguistic rights and mother tongue education. Factors that require thoughtful considerations were enumerated. First, there is a need to recognize that the Philippines is really diverse in terms of languages. There are more than one hundred and fifty languages in the country. Second, the appropriateness and adequacy of these languages to serve as medium of instruction must be evaluated. Third, the spelling and grammar of these languages need to be set before these languages can be extensively used in reading and writing. And of course, last but not the least, the question of how prepared teachers are was likewise raised. The importance of educating the young on their native culture and tongue is not debatable. What requires careful examination are the pedagogical and practical sides of the argument. And these sides are best handled by the teachers and principals in their own respective schools. Inclusive education should be the main goal of the Department of Education in the Philippines. How the academic performance of students in the Philippines could be enhanced is the job of the teacher and not of a bureaucracy.

Sr. Ma. Famita Somogod, Rural Missionaries of the Philippines-Northern Mindanao Sub-Region (RMP-NMR) coordinator, has this to say:

"...Even as the government has identified education as its priority service, the indigenous peoples of Mindanao view it as a “vague illusion.” Accredited schools supposedly established for indigenous peoples were built or established in areas far from the communities. Many residents are also unable to pay even the smallest fees, and some of the Lumad children spend their formative years in community alternative learning schools usually established with the aid of non-government organizations. Even in the rare situations where communities are benefited by a literacy and numeracy school, these are not sustained because of counter-insurgency operations of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP). Instead of protecting the communities from rebel groups, the communities have become the targets of the operations. Militarization and war have resulted to human rights violations, exacerbating the living conditions of the already impoverished indigenous communities, with indigenous children becoming most vulnerable...

...In a conflict situation, children are robbed of both their right to learn and their right to live a child’s life. They are forced to violent realities too early, forced to experience terror too often. And this is not yet even going into the post-conflict trauma that these children suffer. Without access to education, there will be no room for indigenous communities to promote personal development, strengthen respect for human rights and freedoms, and enable individuals to participate freely in a free society...."

To read more,  visit http://www.internal-displacement.org/8025708F004CE90B/(httpDocuments)/48B4F5D25D01D17EC1257A09004EFAA7/$file/Education+and+Militarization+of+IP+Comm+-+Our+Experience+as+Rural+Missionaries+in+Mindanao+april+2012.pdf

 The following are videos depicting the current plight of the Mamanwa tribe of Agusan del Norte:

These are stories from the north and the south. These stories hopefully can help us understand better the words in the title of this post.