Memoirs of an Amnesiac

It's a typical school day and the teacher isn't in the mood for discussing. What usually happens? She/he takes out her trusty chart and lets the student copy every word in the chart. "Ok, class, copy everything. We will have a test on this tomorrow. So pagtuon mo ha!" would be her well-meaning line. What with too many students to look after and those pressing forms that need to be submitted because of deadlines that should be meet like a marathon finish line, where is room for teaching?

Surprisingly, the public school teachers are able to survive the school year with this kind of set-up: unimaginable class size, coming from different economic statuses, and a school system that seems difficult to at least revamp. My father (when he was still alive) used to convince me to transfer to the public school where he thinks there is a "higher pay." While it is true that public school teachers pay well, what with their mid-year bonus and some on the side what-have-you allowances, who can't get lured by that?

There is just one thing that really gets me thinking twice -- the class size and this idea that teachers who were once good in the private schools (most of them hailing from that category), end up getting disillusioned with the system. You see, whoever gets to be school head in the Department of Education will impose a different kind of system that teachers in the public schools will need to adopt. Whereas in the private schools, we have more leeway in terms of adopting to the new system imposed by the DEPEd.

First there was Secondary Education Curriculum, then, Understanding by Design and now the K to 12. All these programs are still on their pilot implementations and a lot have been experienced so far. With the onset of the new systems, so much paper work is required. I have heard of one teacher who could no longer concentrate with her actual teaching because her class record has to follow this format so and so.

I hope our school system would not be a hodge podge of systems that are always on pilot implementation stage. I hope this time with the K to 12, a lot of changes could be made. I hope we go back to the basics of teaching students about being better decision makers in the future -- able to weigh pros and cons in this country that likes adhering to the gray areas.

This summer, I will again go back to Surigao and conduct a convention among the public school teachers on basic topics that has nothing to do with the new education system. My vision is that the kind of learning students would get these days would be enough to help them cope with the changing needs of the times -- the advancement of technology and the putting of premium on material things.

As to whether I should transfer to the public school? I think I will just cross the bridge when I get there.