Financial Literacy, A Must for Teachers

By Gilbert M. Forbes
DepEd Quezon, CALABARZON

(Note:  This articles also applies to all young professionals, newly and currently employed both public and private, members of the informal economy, entrepreneurs, and all who have a way of earning.)

Having no resources to support education in other fields that will warrant a higher income, many opted to take education as a stepping stone but still land as a full time license teacher in the end. Teaching however in the public school at present already command an above the daily minimum wage salary.  In fact, above the entry level salary of call center agents and most professionals starting a career.  So, becoming a teacher and getting employed should be making a difference to the family members and most of all to the individual teacher in the economic bracket where most teachers came.  Handling finances properly should have been a way for a better life - much better life of poverty prior their graduation in college. But this is not the case of some of our new and even senior teachers.

Photo courtesy of Google Images.

Upon permanent employment was the improvement in their buying capacity and so the sudden change in their lifestyle including immediate family members. Instead of putting savings a priority, of increasing their net worth, they stumbled on a spending spree. They start renovating or constructing a new house without careful planning, start to buy signature clothes, gizmos and gadgets. In other words, they start to embrace a middle class life style instead of maintaining their previous simple life style only to find out later that they are already indebted to the neck. What is worst at times, they have exploited family members to join them in the band wagon. The cost, they have become poorer. The worst case scenario is that some family members became dependent which is not the case when the teacher is still studying to be one.

It is very frustrating that many of these teachers education were financed by peoples taxes (for those who studied in state colleges and universities) and subsidized by the government and some private individuals as scholars (for those who studied in some private schools) to help them get out of poverty but end up even poorer due to complicated lifestyle for some after just three to five years in the service or worst after marrying a bum.

On the other hand, others became highly indebted after financing expensive education of younger siblings which don’t match their interest and skills or are just results of peer influence, a fad. These courses charge very high tuition fees and yet the probability of getting employed after graduation is so thin and so appears to be so impractical that it has only put the financier in debt in the end.  Or failure to save or get protection for emergencies like sickness and death.

These situations proved to be not only demeaning and alarming on the part of the teacher experiencing it but to their mission of educating the youth and most importantly to teaching as a profession. Commonly, end result is burnt out and lack of professional direction. Hence, their mind is already pre-occupied where and how to get money to meet their daily needs. They have memorized and master when and how they could renew their loans in different lending institutions in every three months. Some even does it on a monthly basis leaving them with only a quarter of their monthly salary for a living—supplanted by renewable loans from any available credit sources. Indeed, these debtors have mastered the art of loaning and in return have lost their sense of propriety.

With the influence of materialism so strong that some have forgotten the disparity between what is needed and wanted, financial literacy or stewardship is seen to be a form of relief if not the total solution. This is something that should be looked into not only by Teacher Education Institutions but most importantly by the Department of Education to educate teachers, students, and the rest of the stakeholders. The Commission on Higher Education and the Technical Skills Development Authority in partnership with other government agencies should also do the same.

If everybody would be financially literate and educated, they would be motivated to plan for their future, embrace a simple life style or live simply, become responsible stewards, and to acquire the means to help more i.e., to be wealthy or financially independent. As spiritual and religious writers put it, they’ll  be financially independent or get rich for others in their respective pace. Just imagine if all salaried workers both in the government and private sectors including the OFW’s will learn and practice how money works as a result of being financially literate to a lesser extent. Come to think of its effect to the country’s progress and economy!

(This article also applies to other government employees particularly policemen who because of being financially illiterates have become hoodlums and kotongs in uniform. To other government employees and politicians who have become corrupt, private employees and OFW’s who even with their fat salaries have not improved their lives. To micro entrepreneurs and informal sectors of the economy who have stagnated through the years.)

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(The writer is an educator who was also a victim of financial ignorance.  Upon stumbling on a financial literacy book in 2005, he realizes his own situation and soon financial literacy or wellness has become a part of his personal advocacy aside from politics, good governance, education and environment.  He holds baccalaureate and post-graduate studies from the Philippine Normal University and currently employed as a school head in DepEd.)

Meeting the Challenges of EFA 2015

By Gilbert M. Forbes

Five and a half years to go and its 2015, the deadline for EFA of which the Philippines is a signatory. Currently however, data shows that there are around six million Filipinos who have not been to school given the participation rate of only 85.12% in elementary as against the target rate of 90% and 60.74% in secondary against 70% target as of SY 2010-2011. Target learners stood at around sixteen milion while around 13 million students are in danger of going back to illiteracy (Miguel and Barsaga 2000). Considerably, records also say that a staggering 86% and 83% of children from both the primary and intermediate grades have no reading comprehension skills.

This is the face of our country’s education. Nevertheless is the main challenge of reaching all target learners and attending to the needs of the underserved who are or could have been in school but were not able to make them functionally literate.

The education department in this regard have put in placed various programs in response to the challenges of EFA. Some of these are the literacy programs and the A and E equivalency program of the Alternative Learning System formerly Non-Formal Education, Multi-lingual Education (MLE), and inclusive education program. These programs must be utilized to the fullest.

Harnessing the Alternative Learning System

Alternative Learning System should be strengthened by setting quality standards and targets among its personnel particularly Alternative Learning System Coordinators. One way is to require them to have at least both literacy and A & E equivalency programs in all districts to reach all target learners under the close supervision of the district supervisors and the principal where the ALS Coordinator belongs. Failure to achieve given targets would mean immediate replacement. Currently, except those who regard ALS Program with much passion and esteem, many just appear to be a bane particularly in schools where they belong because they are included in the SREA, included in the teacher-pupil ratio but have the privilege of not having teaching loads even when their respective ALS programs are not just enough to cover their expected daily work load.

This could however be prevented by establishing strict selection standards and mechanisms for would be ALS Coordinators giving wait to their passion, eagerness, and dedication towards public service for the common good. Monitoring, data-driven performance evaluation and assessment systems are suggested to be put in place to identify both performing and non-performing coordinators. Well-articulated guidelines in this regard need to be formulated to include the manual of operation and hiring and appointment guidelines.

Currently, ALS Coordinator positions are filled-in by just anybody with almost no criteria at all. Many apply not because of understanding the need, the magnitude and significance of the role and its importance to the less fortunate segments of the society and of service but to be free from the rigors of regular classroom teaching.

ALS Program however is beyond any regular education program as it name implies.

Strengthening Inclusive Education Program

Inclusive education need to be strengthened by training enough special education teachers for both the gifted and especial children and adults. Currently, there is a serious dearth of Special Education (SPED) Teachers in the country. There are provinces and even hundreds of districts which don’t have even a single SPED teacher and SPED Programs for that matter. Many which already have such a program just have found themselves none when their trained SPED teachers are
either promoted or migrated to the US and other first world countries where the demand for special education teachers are definitely high just like ours.

This is one of the challenges that DepEd and Commission on Education in partnerships with other government agencies should consider. At present SPED as teaching specialisation are only available in selected and very few state universities classified as centers of excellence. DepEd in partnership with CHED must expand SPED as one of the specializations to choose from in each region and province either through consortium with existing TEI’s already offering the discipline to other SUC’s offering teacher education not only to meet local demand but even foreign demand as well. With the program, SPED
teacher applicants would be made available establishing an atmosphere of competitiveness. Inclusive education program therefore would be universal.

Other than making SPED teachers available, a system of identifying special children should be established nation wide for there’s no such a system yet. Having the system working, identified gifted learners and special children usually very few could be grouped as a multi-grade class. It is seen as very interesting, challenging and promising.

Harnessing Multigrade Education Program

Multigrade education could not only be the answer in establishing complete elementary schools when number of enrolment is not enough to establish a regular single-grade classes but also in establishing SPED classes for the gifted and special children in single-grade complete elementary schools where their numbers just like in regular classes is not enough for a regular class.

In many instances, even in central elementary schools, there are just not enough fast learners and gifted children so fast learner classes aren’t organized and so, end up included in regular group of students.

But before going beyond the usual but promising practice of multi-level or multigrade grouping proven effective by countless studies both local and abroad, current problems confronting multigrade teachers and schools must be addressed first. These hindrances usually pertains to the difficulty and lack of know-how in lesson planning, classroom management and practice, multigrade instructional materials, equipments, salary and fringe benefits, pre-service and service trainings, etc.

Requiring teachers to stay for at least two years upon their appointment as multigrade teacher is not enough. Even in regular classes, teachers will take three to five years before he or she can establish full connection, grasp, understanding and professional expertise in his chosen profession. But how could existing multigrade teachers stay beyond two years even without a DepEd ruling?

The answer is simple. The government must give due considerations to multigrade teachers by adjusting their salary commensurate to the difficulties in handling multigrade classes just like in other countries as well as providing multigrade schools with necessary materials to make teaching learning productive and effective.


Increasing Participation through Synergy

For quite a long time, school managers are doing their share to increase participation rate in response to DepEd mandate following EFA thrust. They are doing this by decreasing and increasing performance indicators e.g., drop out rate, graduation rate, transition rate, survival rate, retention rate, etc. None or very few however are engage or doing beyond the usual thing, that is reaching the target learners.

Possibly, a better way that will uplift current participation rate taking seriously EFA 2015 is the assistance that local government units from the community to municipal level could do. LGU’s assistance could be sought for data relative to the actual number of school age population and comparing it to the actual number who are in school and those who are not and helping them go to school. LGU’s must come to realize that looking for the missing sheep, the authentic marginalize sectors and highly vulnerable component of the society, should be the primary concern and focus of their education related programs as a proof that
education is at the top of their agenda. If necessary, to ensure that school-age populace shall be educated, the rule of law as stipulated in our constitution and other legislations must be implemented even if it will mean putting some or many behind bars.

Socializing educational grants to equalize opportunities among LGU’s through the DILG must be established so that everybody most especially the most in-need will still have a share. At present, it is very sad to note that hundreds of millions are spent by rich cities and municipalities to education related programs all leaning to populist stance. These LGU’s are supporting unnecessary educational grants e.g., free school uniforms and supplies to their constituents without following socialized scheme plus unplanned IT support systems, air-conditioned school administration buildings and even classrooms while students and teachers in far flung areas just console themselves in the relative refreshing shade of mango trees during summer season or take patience under leaking and typhoon damaged buildings during rainy season. Thus, social inequalities are just made larger than life by these situations even in local governance and education.


Conclusion

The significance of education as the greatest social equalizer as well as the immediate answer to the many social problems of the country and of the society couldn’t be ignored. Public officials therefore recognizing this fact should work very hard in ensuring that all target learners will be served. Current local spending relative to education and other unnecessary purchases must be reviewed and if necessary, limitations be established to include depressed localities.

This could be done by a legislation that will consider equal distribution of special education fund to all school age population.