About a couple of years ago, when I was busy playing Civilization III on my PC, my youngest brother whom we nicknamed Pepito then was a Grade 4 student, entered my room and asked me this question:

Kuya, bakit tayo kailangang mag-Ingles eh mga Pilipino naman tayo? Big brother, why do we have to use English when are Pilipino?

I caught my mother giving me a raised eyebrow, she probably thought that I had began instilling anti-US thoughts on my little brother. Much to her relief and to my surprise, I was not. The following conversation proved my innocence:

Me: Bakit mo naman naitanong yan? Why do you ask that?

Pepito: Eh kasi nahihirapan akong sagutan yung assignment namin sa English. Kailangang gumawa ng essay tungkol dun sa kwento pinabasa sa amin. (It’s because I’m having a hard time to do my homework in English. We need to write an essay about the story we were asked to read.)

Me: Naintidihan mo naman ba yung kwento? (But did you understand what the story was about?)

Pepito: Medyo. Pero noong kinuwento n’yo sa akin sa Tagalog mas naintindihan ko. (Not quite. But when you told me about it in Tagalog that’s when I really understood it.)

Me: Pero kaya mong gumawa ng essay tungkol sa kwento? (But still, can you write an essay about the story?)

Pepito: Opo. Kung sa Tagalog, patulong na lang paki-Ingles. (Of course. If it’s in Tagalog, can you help in translating it to English afterwards?)

This conversation I had with my little brother would always strengthen my belief that we should do away with the bilingual method of teaching in primary education. Instead, we should teach in the vernacular tongue of the region or province. This would greatly help the thousands of young students who are forced to struggle in learning alien tongues which only become an unnecessary stumbling block to their learning.

I’m no education expert, but I’ve been in school long enough to know that one of the top hindrances to effective learning is the language barrier. That’s why I join the real experts in education who are calling on the Aquino administration to institutionalize a mother- tongue-based multilingual education for early learners. The Inquirer report describes it as:

The technique, which goes back to an education basic of starting where the children are, makes use of regional languages in teaching students from grades 1 to 3. Such foundation is then used to bridge learning to secondary languages, including Filipino and English.

Veering away from traditional bilingual teaching, the method is proven to improve comprehension and retention among young students and builds a strong foundation for learning other languages and Philippine waterloo subjects like math and science.

The report even says that this teaching technique is already being tested in many school throughout the country and has produced results that show a significant improvement in students’ learning and understanding.

Teaching our young students the proper way early on, and they would be better prepared to take on tougher learning tasks like learning other languages. This grass-roots approach to basic education is a sure solution in improving the quality of education in our country.

This call has been long forwarded by renowned historian Renato Constantino who put it so eloquently in an 1990 essay entitled Ang Paggamit ng Ingles Pumipigil sa Pag-iisip nang Malalim:

Ang paggamit ng wikang banyaga bilang isang wikang panturo ay sagabal sa pag-iisip dahil dapat munang masanay ang mag-aaral sa mga bagong tunog, tono, at balangkas ng pangungusap. Nahihirapan siyang ipahayag ang kanyang mga saloobin at ito’y pumipigil sa kanyang pag-iisip. KAYA, MAKIKITA NATIN NA MARAMI SA ATING MGA KABABAYAN ANG HINDI SANAY NA MAG-ISIP NG MALALIM. Hindi nila ganap na maunawaan ang mga aklat at peryodikong nakasaulat sa Ingles. Hirap na hirap ang marami sa atin na nag-iisip sa wikang Ingles pero hindi rin sila makapag-usap ng mahusay sa sarili nilang wika dahil ito ay napabayaan.

*emphasis supplied

• PNoy doesn’t mind if you don’t go into college (2)
• Pagsasara ng Kursong AB Community Development: Labag sa Vision-Mission ng Pamantasang De La Salle Dasmariñas (1)
• MIT now offering course on Solar Power (0)
• Presidential Candidates’ Platform stand on state abandonment of higher education (3)
• Support HB 6799: Anti-No Permit, No Exam Bill (1)

Here’s my first major disappointment over President Noynoy Aquino, in his 2011 budget message:

Quality education at all levels is our priority. This includes vocational training so that those who cannot pursue higher education, either by choice or by circumstance, can find a dignified livelihood.

Isn’t it self-contradictory? He says that quality education at all levels is the government’s priority on one hand and on the other he says that if you cannot afford to go to college, hopefully you’ll get a decent job.

Earth to PNoy! A vast majority of the Filipino youth do want to go into college.

But alas, he finally gets honest later on in his message:

We allocated P23.4 billion to 112 State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) in 2011. This is 1.7 percent lower than the P23.8 billion budget for 2010. We are gradually reducing the subsidy to SUCs to push them toward becoming self-sufficient and financially independent, given their ability to raise their income and to utilize it for their programs and projects.

Now that’s really encouraging isn’t it? Ganito pala sa “daang matuwid.”

But who could blame PNoy? He has a warped and distorted view of why young Filipinos don’t go into college:

Almost half of our high school graduates seek employment rather than pursue higher studies.

Wrong Mr President! High school graduates are forced to seek employment because they cannot afford to go into private universities and colleges. Even State colleges and universities are becoming more inaccessible because tuition fees are increasing yearly because of your policy of state abandonment of education.

It seems that PNoy has forgotten that a considerable portion of the votes he obtained in the May 2010 elections came from the Filipino youth, who hoped that by supporting he will help solve their education woes. The ever increasing costs of higher education on top of the list.

So much for making quality education at all levels a priority of your administration.

• Watchword: Braggadocio (1)
• The truth can no longer wait for a Truth Commission (1)
• Why I “Unlike” the Official P-Noy Facebook Fan Page (6)
• Super Typhoon Juan (Megi): Opportunity & Tests (1)
• Senator Trillanes and the 2010 Truth Commission (0)

Nakatanggap ako ng balita na sa susunod na taon, ay posibleng isara ang kursong AB Community Development sa Pamantasang De La Salle Dasmariñas. Hindi ko alam ang buong detalye o dahilan sa panukalang ito. Sana ay maging bukas at tapat ng pamunuan ng pamantasan at ng Kolehiyo ng Malalayang Sining tungkol sa bagay na ito.

Sa aking limitadong kaalaman at karanasan tungkol sa bagay na ito, ang naiisip kong dahilan ng pagsasara ng kursong AB Comm Dev ay ang kakaunting dami ng mga estudyanteng kumukuha ng kursong ito. Maraming dahilan kung bakit ganito ang nangyayari, ngunit paniwala ko na mababaw ang dahilang ito upang isara ang isang kurso o programang napakahalaga ang maiaambag sa pagunlad ng mga komunidad sa paligid ng pamantasan at ng bansa.

Higit rito, napakahalaga ang kursong ito upang mapaunlad ang mga mag-aaral na papasok at kukuha ng kursong ito. Saksi ako mismo sa katotohanang ito.

Sa ilang taon na ako ay naging SERVE Volunteer, isa sa mga pinakamatagal nang organisasyon ng mga Lasalyanong boluntir sa pamantasan, hindi nawala ang mga estudyanteng kumukuha ng AB Comm Dev sa organisasyong ito. Mayaman at mahalaga ang kanilang mga naging ambag at patuloy pang iniaambag sa tagumpay ng mga programa at pagkilos ng SERVE at ng Sentro sa Pagpapaunlad ng Pamayanang Lasalyano o Lasallian Community Development Center tungo sa paglilinkod sa mga komunidad sa paligid ng pamantasan at pagsusulong ng pagbabago ng lipunan.

Hindi lamang SERVE ang natulungan ng mga estudyanteng kabilang sa programang AB Comm Dev. Ang Student’s Commission on Elections noong panahong tinatawag pa itong University Student Commission on Elections ay matagal nang nabibigyang buhay at nagsasagawa ng mga matagumpay ng halalan para sa Pamantasang Konseho ng mga Mag-aaral o University Student Council sapagkat bulto ng mga miyembro nito ay nagmula sa AB Comm Dev.

Ilan din sa mga natatanging Alumni ng Pamantasang De La Salle Dasmariñas ay nagmula sa AB Comm Dev, si Joymay Amihan ng Class of 2007 ay nagsilbi bilang Pangulo ng Pamantasang Konseho ng mga Mag-aaral o University Student Council noong 2007-2008 ay kasalukuyang Program Coordinator ng Programang Pangkomunidad sa Manila Doctors’ Hospital. Sina Remina Plomos at Rafael Gregorio, ng Class of 2010 ay kasalukuyang ganap na Lasalyanong Boluntir sa ilalim ng Lasallian Volunteer Program ng De La Salle Philippines. Sila ay naninilbihan bilang mga boluntir sa Bagac, Bataan at sa Iligan City, Lanao del Norte. Ang iba pang Alumni na nagtapos ng AB Comm Dev ay kabilang sa iba’t-ibang mga NGO, nakikibahagi sa kanilang mga pagkilos tungo sa pagbabago ng lipunan sa kabila ng madami pang ibang pagkakataon na makakuha ng mas malaking hanapbuhay.

Ang punto ng mga ehemplong ito ay pagpapakita na sa lahat ng mga iba pang kurso o programang inaalok ng Pamantasang De La Salle Dasmariñas sa mga estudyante, ang AB Community Development ang direktang tumutugon at gumaganap sa amon sa ating lahat na isulong at isabuhay ang Lasalyanong Misyon. Ito mismo ay nakasaad sa Vision-Mission ng ating mahal na pamantasang Lasalyano:

Vision

De La Salle University-Dasmariñas is a Filipino Catholic University established and managed by the De La Salle Brothers and their lay partners in the historic province of Cavite in response to the needs of the Church and the Nation for human and Christian education, particularly the youth at risk. Guided by the Lasallian values of Faith, Zeal and Communion, the University participates meaningfully in the process of social transformation by forming God-centered, people-oriented, and patriotic persons who serve as responsible and professionally competent stewards of God’s creation.

Mission

To realize this vision, the University shall strive to become a leading institution nationally and globally in the integral formation of the youth by offering relevant, responsive, and community-oriented academic programs, research and extension services, and promoting a keen sense of history, arts and culture. Following the footsteps of Saint John Baptist De La Salle, the University shall continue transforming itself into a caring community guided by Gospel values, with a fervent spirit of service, love for learning and excellence through a holistic formation of its members.

Samakatuwid, ang pagsasara ng kursong AB Community Development ay tuwirang paglabag sa Vision-Mission ng Pamantasang De La Salle Dasmariñas at katumbas ng pag-abandona sa Lasalyanong Misyon. Matibay ang aking paniwala, na mismong si San Juan Bautista De La Salle ay hindi matutuwa sa bagay na ito.

Malinaw na kung may mga suliraning kinakaharap ang Pamantasan at ang Kolehiyo ng Malalayang Sining sa tungkol sa kursong AB Community Development, ang pagsasara nito ay hindi at maling solusyon. Katumbas nito ay pagsuko sa isang hamon, at sa aking natatandaan, tayong mga Lasalyano ay hindi sumusuko, lalo’t higit nakasalalay sa paglutas ng suliraning ito ang kaganapan at pagsasakatuparan ng Lasalyanong Misyon.

Dalangin ko, na sa sama-samang pagkilos, bukas at tapat na pagtutulungan ng mga estudyante, alumni, mga guro at pamunuan ng Kolehiyo ng Malalayang Sining at ng Pamantasan, maululutas din ang mga suliraning ito.

• Indeed, mother tongues should be used in early education (0)
• PNoy doesn’t mind if you don’t go into college (2)
• MIT now offering course on Solar Power (0)
• Presidential Candidates’ Platform stand on state abandonment of higher education (3)
• Support HB 6799: Anti-No Permit, No Exam Bill (1)

Those who would want to learn more about solar panels, harnessing the power of the sun, the technologies, economics and know-how involved would now be delighted to know that you can do so in an academic setting, no where else but in Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

MIT’s Professional Education is now offering a course called “SOLAR ENERGY: CAPTURING THE SUN” and has the following course objectives:

1. Examine global energy calculations, including how to do them and what they mean.
2. Assess global climate models and what they mean.
3. Investigate the way nature performs biological energy conversion.
4. Examine solar capture and conversion (photovoltaics and photochemical assemblies).
5. Describe energy storage: chemical fuels, batteries and supercapacitors.

The course is open to almost every one, says MIT, professionals, educators and public, and all who are concerned about this planet’s future. Having a college background in science or any other undergraduate degree would be enough foundation to help in understanding the materials and concepts presented in the course.

Classes would begin on August 2, 2010 and end on August 6. How I wish I could afford this course and study at MIT. Hopefully, similar programs would also be offered soon here in the Philippines by top Universities and colleges.

Having eco-engineers that are equipped with the knowledge to utilize solar power would greatly help solve our energy and environment problems. Now I wish the next President would include this kind of initiatives in his education program.

Image by Jimmy_joe

• DLSUD’s flexible tuition fee payment scheme (0)
• BitDefender’s Bit Piracy at its own game campaign (7)
• On the case of the De La Salle – Dasma professor arrested for attempted rape (5)
• Spark the flames of citizen journalism: A call to sponsors for the first blogging seminar in DLSUD (5)
• I’m back, for good! And here’s what I’ve been up to (3)

In light of the recent student protests in PUP against the 2000% increase in tuition fees as a result of the government’s policy of abandoning state universities and colleges, the need for Presidential candidates to take a categorical stand on the issue has become more crucial as it is a test of their commitment to truly bringing about change and serving the Filipino people, especially the youth.

The 1987 Constitution mandates in Article XIV Sec. 5 (5) that the “State shall assign the highest budgetary priority to education.” So it is a solemn duty of the next Chief Executive to carry out this mandate and it would be interesting as to how the current Presidential candidates plan on doing this.

However, as of this writing, none of the Presidential candidates has taken a stand on this issue, which leaves us to consult their platforms, in whatever form it may be, and try to elucidate their stand on the matter.

A quick website hopping and a little browsing in their respective websites have turned out the following:

Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino of the Liberal Party

Assistance To Private Schools As Essential Partners In Basic Education
 
Private education must be a partner in producing quality education in the country. I intend to expand GASTPE (Government Assistance to Students and Teachers in Private Education) to a target of 1 million private HS students every year through education service contracting (ESC) while doing away with the wasteful education voucher system (EVS) of this administration.
 
I will expand government assistance to private education. A strong private school system will strengthen our public schools by providing parents an alternative and not adding to the overcrowding.

The subheading says it all. True to his Liberal ideology of lesser state control in social services, at present it seems, that the policy of leaving the state universities and colleges to fend off for themselves would be continued.

Manuel “Manny” Villar of the Nacionalista Party

None. Since I cannot find Manny Villar’s invisible platform.

Dick Gordon

Fifth, that we must prioritize EDUCATION as the key to national development to compete and lead in the new global economy

Gordon’s take on the matter is better than Manny Villar, though falls short of any specific plans because as of now it’s just a prime-grade example of a motherhood statement.

Nick Perlas

• Identify the top 100 secondary educational institutions of the country, provide support for their innovative practices, document and disseminate their creative educational practices, and enter into partnerships with them as hubs of educational excellence.
• Do an in-depth study, involving all stakeholders, as basis for the gradual transfer educational services to the cultural non-profit sector of society especially in partnership with the community.
• Create the policy environment for strengthening the role of private education in all levels of the school system.
• Increase the usage of educational vouchers to widen the choices of parents. Increase focus beyond just quantity of education services to quality of education services including more holistic educational approaches that develop multi-talented, creative, critical-thinking, socially-oriented students and citizens. (For other educational initiatives, see section below on Holistic Education and Inner Change.)

Though Nick Perlas wants to overhaul the education system itself, it is still in line with policy of giving a bigger attention to the private education sector.

Gilbert “Gibo” Teodoro

Government should do its utmost to pro-actively provide for quality universal primary and secondary education that is accessible to all. Tertiary education must also be supported by way of providing for a massive student loan program to enable all qualified students to fulfill their dreams of gaining more knowledge to improve their life-chances.

From the above-quoted portion of the Lakas-Kampi-CMD platform, it’s more of the same banana: prioritize public elementary and secondary education while leaving tertiary education on its own, mitigating student problems with student loans.

Joseph “Erap” Estrada

His platform focuses more on Universal access to primary education while targets to increase more government scholars in Tertiary education instead of student loans.

Eddie Villanueva

His plan is to have more college scholars via:

By working towards free college or tertiary-level education of poor but determined and industrious students nationwide.

Jamby Madrigal

To promtoe educational democracy and end the school profit-orientation dictated by the IMF and WB by doubling the public education budget, removing the rationale for tuition fees in state colleges and universities and enabling the poor to enroll..

Hers is quite interesting for she is the only candidate that tows the national-democratic, anti-imperialist line of resisting privatization of the tertiary education and gives more budgetary allocation instead. Something what the “Iskolars ng Bayan” and the Makabayan Coalition are calling for. Now why haven’t Jamby Madrigal grouped with Makabayan instead since, based on their platforms, they have many shared principles and programs?

At present, based on the candidates’s platforms, it seems that the call for greater state support for tertiary education would fall on deaf ears. Or would they turn against their platforms as a genuine and sincere gesture of serving the youth or simply for scoring brownie points among the young voters?

We are still waiting and watching.

• On candidates ‘appeal to emotion’ tactics (3)
• Map your Precinct with Google Mapmaker (1)
• Would manual parallel count be good for the May 10 elections? (3)
• On Chiz Escudero’s Resignation from NPC (0)
• Vote for Efren Peñaflorida in the 2009 CNN Heroes (7)