18.11.07

Rain, rain go away...

It's been raining here for quite a week already. Rainy days that will make us feel just rather stay at home and go idle while staring outside our window pane as the rain falls gently, than do outdoor activities. Rainy season has a lot of stories to tell. Times when heavy traffic is ever present on highways, when it's just really hard for ordinary laborers to get a ride from work back to their homes, and when students in some remote areas will have to cross muddy pathways inorder to get reach to their individual destination.

I remember a story from a very good friend of mine who is a public school teacher in one of the far-flung areas here in Mindanao. In one of our conversations, she shared to me how their class’ schedule would go esp. during rainy days. And that the students will have to beg to the teacher to dismiss them early because they already see the sky filled with gray clouds that signal the coming of the rain. They don’t wanna be caught by the heavy rain simply because they still have to walk a great distance from school to their houses. Some even have to cross rivers.There are no means of transportation always available for them aside from the fact that their allowance during the day is not even enough to buy their snacks and school projects. And then my friend added that sometimes she will have to understand when the next day, some of her students are already absent because of the bad weather.

The story appears to be so primitive to me.Because this is the kind of tell-tale that I often hear from old folks when education was yet fully developed during the ancient times.I never thought that even up to this present time, when education has really laddered
and the cities have developed and yet it's surprising to realize that the tale of our grandparents is still existing.

It's just too hard to imagine that if it rains all the time in their area, we cannot expect from our learners to be globally competitive if the classroom setting appears to be this way. And so I personally wish to address the issue to their local government to take a closer look of it.

Gone are the days of our great grandparents when they had to walk longer distance and cross rivers because the city was still undeveloped. We are now living in a generation where technology rises so swiftly even without our notice. Humans have grown to be geniuses. And so while we continue rising so many high buildings in our cities and develop our commerce and industries, let us also not forget our future builders , our learners, esp. those in remote places. They too need concrete highways and a much more developed area by providing them somehow a means of transportation so they can safely travel back to their homes esp. on rainy season.

Education should not remain a privilege because the moneyed and the powerful can afford to send their children to exclusive schools within the city, but for those living in the remote areas who can only see hope that their children can finish their studies even when they go to public schools....EDUCATION must remain a RIGHT.

13 comments:

Shosh said...

Hi Ev, I'm with you on education.

I remember rain and Cagayan de Oro. I am thankful my mother have someone who can drive us to school, so we only get muddy from the school gates going into the building. Didn't think it it was a previllege then because everyone seem to be driven to school on bad weather. But think if it was on the mountains...I'd be illiterate.

ev said...

Thank you for sharing your story Shan, it's just sad to realize that we have actually intellectual students coming from public schools in the remote areas but due to some other reasons, without given enough support, there is lacking in giving them the best learning so they can even become globally competitive individuals.

Nance said...

It is sad that there are still kids who are "left behind". It would really be nice if the local government will take a look at this very seriously ... priority should be given to the kids, give them the chance, tools ...the innovation to succeed.
nice essay, ev!

Anonymous said...

Hi Ev!
When I was child my school was very near to my house, about 2-3 minuts.
I was jealous that my friends go farther. I thought that they were happy going together for about hour. During the winter or very bad weather days some not coming.

Thank you for your great post.
Best to you!

Mari said...

That should be the priority of the government officials...roads and bridges so school children don't have to cross rivers on foot putting themselves in harms way. The problem is they, the officials, look the other way.

Anonymous said...

youre absolutely right,Ev..

ganyan din sa place namin sa metro manila,and up to now,schools are cancelled during heavy rainy days because of flood,i think thats a big hindrance sa development ng mga bata,educationally speaking.too bad,pati yata English na kilala ang mga Pinoy sa pagiging magaling,ay bumababa na rin ang rating,globally speaking.I hope we could do something about it...

Have a great week ahead!
ghee

Anonymous said...

bilib na bilib ako sa mga teacehrs na tumatanggap ng assignments sa mga tribal places dito sa pinas, alam mo di naman sila well compensated. kung uulan tama ka di lang mga bata gusto makauwi dahil malayo ang uuwian, pati rin mga teachers, considering na di sanay ang mga teachers na ito na maglakad sa bundok. sana mabigyan ng malaking budget ng govnt ang education lalo na sa mga far flung places

Anonymous said...

Haru ang lalalim na nman e! sana tumila na ang rain-rain...

Unknown said...

mukhang uulan na naman nga dito.. ang hirap nga pag-umuulan, baha dito baha doon...konting ulan lang baha na.. same din ng dilemma kung nas probinsya... baha din ang kalaban...

Unknown said...

asan na ba si Ev my frend?mukhang super busy ;)

take care and happy weekend!
ghee

Anonymous said...

tama ka po... check this new site please

http://kasimanwako.com/index.htm#

we are trying to help some of our kababayans back in our province...

Anonymous said...

Natawa naman ako kay tikey ayaw makipagsabayan...hahaha!

Noon inis din ako pag laging umuulan, pag pala napunta ka sa place na walang ulan, hahanapin mo rin pala. Ganyan naman talaga di ba? Pag wala na syo dun mo makikita ma kailangan mo rin pala.

Ash said...

I agree with you. Education must be made a right.