Tuesday, March 3, 2009

Bread is What We Need

By:  Gilbert M. Forbes
DepEd QUEZON CALABARZON

There is no need for such a law for it will only further jeopardized already troubled bilingual education in the country. Dep Ed has already released guidelines pertaining to the use of the mother-tongue in grade one or in the initial grade in recognition of various studies which emphasized that children learn best utilizing their first language or their mother tongue (DepEd Order No. 36, s. 2006)

If another purpose is to intellectualize Filipino as the national language, the law if passed could be missing the point. The fact that linguist experts don't agree with the proposed bill only means that it is really insignificant. What we really need is the total review and improvement in the current teaching practice of teachers. Instead of another law which will only complicate the already complicated educational arena, law makers must pass law that will increase teachers' salary to encourage good teachers to stay and motivate talented and gifted students to take education. Long overdue hazard pays to teachers particularly multi-grade teachers must be released to them instead of getting rotten in papers. There should be budget for their training seminars from national level down the district and even school level plus per diem and honorarium.

 At present, teachers are the one paying for their trainings and seminars costing them from Php1,200.00 to Php5,000.00- -making the already marginalize, poor and helpless teachers the milking cows of training providers some of which are even division supervisors! More often than not, these teachers only attend trainings to follow their superior's wishes and so, even there are thousands of trainings being held yearly, it contributes very little effect towards academic improvement of learners or even none at all. Even when their is a very good training coming from the national level, the cascading effect, dilute its substance and importance when it reach the district and school level. This is a sad story when politicians are pretending to be a thinker, a scholar, a specialist and an expert when what really matter is publicity. Worst, when the truth is, they don't know what they are doing.

Until when will they realize that what we need is bread!