By Anthony A. Araos
There is an ambitious plan of the Department of Education (DepEd) to construct a number of school buildings in Ifugao. I already discussed this matter in previous commentary of my column.
Looking back, I realized that I wasn’t ready to smile yet because something is still inadequate or missing. I was yearning for more because it was a golden opportunity for me to spell out its importance to folks of all ages.
A strategic starting point would be to focus on the present-day conditions of public schools at primary and secondary levels, which provides more effective and practical assessments for stakeholders in the province. It is a critical factor in pushing aggressively this program for the attainment of its avowed goals.
Thus far, I can see a clear plan and platforms for upgrading school facilities along with recognizing the important role of teachers in society.
I’m sure many are excited because teachers are looking forward to provide young learners meaningful and fulfilling years at new classrooms across the province. I’m sure the excitement shall be heightened because these learners are finally leaving old and dilapidated classrooms. Hopefully, finally bye, bye to these eyesores in the education landscape!
This is the ultimate solution that will improve the conditions in the public school system.
Exploring potentially smart-looking, world-class school buildings is essential for long-term growth in the education sector. Ifugao, in particular presents an attractive opportunity to leave the past marked by poorly-built school buildings. This makes it an ideal time to invest in modern-day infrastructure. This is a major step for the development of existing school buildings into better ones. Again, bye, bye to awkward-looking school buildings!
It’s been a very long time coming, the adoption of a holistic program geared to improve the quality of basic education in the Philippines, by building classrooms in impoverished communities. This is why this plan makes sense! This is the perfect plan for poor Ifugao learners. Likewise, it promotes a definition similar to “youth development.” Clearly, we cannot afford to let the acute shortage of classrooms be unattended and other inefficiencies persist.
All told, teachers are overworked and underpaid. They are given chores that take them away from their primary functions- teaching.
Now there is an alarming “exodus” rate in the teaching profession of teachers. And see, now I take you to the scenario of mass exodus of teachers, In time, who shall even teach the young in these so-called “brand new classrooms,” knowing the dreadful things that will happen to them there? For I know this is disadvantageous to the government.
Time to tear away from the practice of not attending to the aforementioned problem swiftly and decisively!
Politicians are not allowed to be guest speakers at graduation rites. Obviously, experience has been horrific. It’s only right to keep them off from this concern. What matters now is to safeguard the well-being of educators from the “Honorables” who are still unhappy of having enough of everything. Suffice it to say, you build a school for learners, not for politicians.
That said, I’m hoping that politics take a back seat in the development of school infrastructure. How dare politicians take the front seats in these tasks! Allowing them to do so will be inimical to the cause. The task right now for concerned folks is not to give them an opportunity gravitate to school division office bigwigs and advance their ulterior motives. It’s impossible not understand its repercussions. The point is, they are now posturing for 2028. They are thinking of staying in power. Always!
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