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| art by: monocyte2210.deviantart.com |
I teach at a school being run by an NGO. We offer free
education, from basic education up to technical-vocational courses. Our
students are the “poorest of the poor” (our founder’s words), including some of
the abused, neglected, and abandoned children coming from different child care centers
all over Metro Manila.
At mahirap silang
baguhin.
Four years ago, back when I still had a Sibika load, I had
to include discussion of current events in my classes as a way to prepare them
for the ALS (Alternative Learning System) test. And I fairly remember a student
of mine (let me call him R), who blurted out a striking statement after our
class discussed about why some Filipinos refuse to leave their homes during
typhoons, even if it means endangering their lives. R, who lives in one of the
dormitories inside the NGO’s property, said to me: “Wala naman akong pakialam sa kanila, Ma’am. Hindi naman kami
binabaha.” For it to come from a thirteen year old elementary student, it’s
no wonder pinoy apathy’s ingrained deep inside the majority of us.
I haven’t been
teaching Sibika for three years already (my principal’s decision, but that’s
another story), and I admit I haven’t been discussing current events in my
classes as often as before. That’s why when one of my classmates mentioned on having “Balitaan” before class is effective, I was reminded of the
teacher that I was four years ago.
Naisip ko, kaya nangyayaring walang pakialam
yung mga estudyante ko sa nangyayari sa Pilipinas, kasi hindi nila nakikita nang
madalas sa akin na teacher nila na may pakialam ako sa nangyayari sa Pilipinas.
Yes, I rant in front of the TV set while watching news programs, and discuss current
events with friends and family— but for the past school years I seldom take it
to my classroom (not the ranting per se, but the discussion itself). I guess
when my teaching load changed, so did my conscious effort to inform my students
about the current issues in the country, especially to those who live inside
the NGO’s dormitories, who don’t have TV sets or internet access made available
for them.
And so these past months, my advisory class and I have touched-up on SONA, the
Metro-wide earthquake drill, and the upcoming presidential elections. Not all
of my students were very enthusiastic, but we’re all a
work-in-progress.
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Note: ang post na ito ay isa sa aking sangkatutak na requirements mula sa nakaraang first term sa grad school. halata naman siguro 'no? andaming english eh. hehe.
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