EDUCATION REVOLUTION STARTS HERE

EDUCATION REVOLUTION STARTS HERE

By

RACHEL BARAWID

(Manila Bulletin, Education Section, p. 1, May 3, 2012)



MANILA, Philippines - The students of Darwin International School (DIS) System in the quaint towns of Pulong Buhangin and Bagbaguin in Sta. Maria, San Jose del Monte City and Malolos in Bulacan may literally be labeled as probinsiyanos and probinsiyanas but they are not the least bit backward, in terms of education.

In fact, the students who are all fluent in speaking English, are globally competitive and equally brilliant, perhaps even better than those from Manila and elsewhere.

Apart from topping the National Career Assessment Examination (NCAE) results in the province and the region, they also end up getting accepted to all the top schools in the country such as the University of the Philippines (UP), Ateneo de Manila University and De La Salle University. This is largely due to the unconventional, out-of-the-box and unique system of education being offered in the school.


ONE-OF-A-KIND TEXTBOOKS
First off, the students from preschool to grade school don't have the usual textbooks that are commercially found in the market. Neither do they use imported books. Their simple resource materials in all subjects except Math, are actually in black and white, typed in bond paper, photocopied and bound together. These serve as their textbooks.

But one shouldn't be quick in judging its cover though, because as soon as you open the pages, you'll see that it is far from its simple and ordinary exterior.

The books, written by DIS president and headmaster Professor Rolando S. Dela Cruz, are cutting-edge, unique and filled with relevant words and concepts that students need to be able to think critically and compete globally.

The English book for preparatory students, for instance, contains vowel and consonant sounds, spelling and advanced vocabulary. Words like edifice, abbey, hilarious, cactus, iceberg, Koran, palette, queue and their proper pronunciation are being taught to these kids in the context of a sentence and not just through memorization.

"Yung libro namin mukhang kawawa pero ang pinag-uusapan ano yung laman, paano ituturo at ano yung method sa pagtuturo. In English, I need to give even prep students advanced vocabulary because my goal is to produce globally competitive students. So I engage them in critical thinking. If the words are deep, they can absorb ideas and express themselves. Through ideas, they can be able to test concepts. But that can't happen if they learn only simple words," explains Prof. Dela Cruz, an A.B. Philippine Studies (major in Political Science and Film) graduate from UP Diliman.

The English book also has poetry, literary activities such as reading a classic and analyzing the setting, characters and the story. It also includes English expressions.

The English Grade 6 book has a practical exercise that enables students to discuss their weaknesses, allowing them to express themselves. Dela Cruz says this activity particularly trains sixth graders to pass a job interview, a skill normally learned while in college!

Prep Science books, meanwhile, consist of topics on animals, plants, human biology and astronomy. Dela Cruz reasons that the abstract concepts in this book may be hard and advanced for their age but if taught using the right approach, they will be able to absorb it easily. Science, like all the other subjects, is taught in a multidisciplinary approach. Art and language are incorporated in the subject, as students learn to draw the animals they read about and also test their spelling skills from the new scientific words they've encountered.

Filipino and Civics books, on the other hand, have an English translation for every word, much like a dictionary. And then the lessons are taught in Filipino and English, on a different day, so the students who are adept in English can have a chance to understand the concepts in their preferred language. "I allow the children to master the Filipino topics first. But I don't deprive them the opportunity to learn in English. So now, we have students who can express themselves in a particular topic in two languages. That to me is the real bilingualism," points out the 48-year-old Dela Cruz.

At the DIS however, everyone including the janitors and guards are required to speak in English at all times, even during recess and lunch break.


TEACHING HUMANITIES EARLY
Another important feature of the DIS education is the integration of the Humanities, a first year college subject, in the preschool and grade school curricula.

Prep Humanities, for instance, teaches kids about prehistoric art including pottery, the first human beings and cave paintings. They also learn Achilles in Greek art, the Renaissance as well as legendary musicians, literary greats, and artists from Mozart to Lea Salonga.

"When I went abroad, I saw French preschool kids analyzing art at the Louvre Museum. My goodness, what an injustice to Filipinos! `Yung pinag-aaralan natin ng college, pinag-aaralan na ng preschool kids sa France! So I said to myself, when the time comes that I will put up a school, I will not deny them the opportunity to learn world art at the earliest possible time. I believe Humanities should be taught throughout the learning process from preschool to college," reveals Dela Cruz, a three-time Palanca awardee and two-time Cultural Center of the Philippines awardee in playwriting.

While the parents of his students were shocked about the inclusion of the Humanities in the lower levels in the beginning, he says eventually they realized that there is nothing wrong with learning about the best in world art and culture at such a young age.

Some textbooks at Darwin, also have footnotes that include bibliographies, links and additional readings that even teachers and parents can look up. Dela Cruz believes that they too should engage in lifelong learning to be able to effectively teach their students and children.


STUDY TOURS AND FORMAL DINNERS
Darwin International School also differs in the way it conducts its field trips which it would rather call study tours. Instead of amusement parks, the students are taken to historical, science and art-oriented places such as museums, famous landmarks and even puppet shows. In its recent study tour, students were taken to the Quezon Memorial Circle where they learned about the tomb of former President Manuel Quezon, as well as the architecture, art and history of the place. They also went to the PNP Museum where they were exposed to the concept of guns, as a tool to ensure peace and order. During the tour, students engage in complementing activities that enhance the lessons.

Every year, students attend formal dinners at DIS where they don't just learn social etiquette, table manners but also discuss serious, relevant issues with their teachers and school officials. Other extra-curricular activities include a Sports Festival, English Festival, Talent Olympics, Dream Day, Cosplay Festival and Battle of the Bands.

Apart from the small class sizes, the school has no top ten classification. Instead, all students are required to maintain a grade that can make it to either of the five classifications: first class honors, high second class honors, low second class honors, high third class honors and low third class honors. Those who do not fall in any classification will be provided with an intervention to improve his or her performance. Otherwise, a student will have to transfer to another school. What's good about this classication, adds Dela Cruz, is that everyone are motivated to study hard and give their best effort due to the equal opportunities to excel and be part of the honors class.


INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL FOR FILIPINOS
Established in 2003, the Darwin International School is a fulfillment of Dela Cruz's dream to provide international education to Filipino students. The wealth of knowledge offered and unconventional method used in the school are products of a rich educational and teaching experience, mostly culled from his learnings in UP, as well as from his postgraduate studies at the Osaka University of Foreign Studies in Japan, University of Leiden in the Netherlands and the University of Cambridge in England. The curriculum is likewise an enhanced version of the basic education curriculum of the Department of Education.

While he had already made significant contributions to UP, producing books and journals for the UP Law Center and teaching Political Science students for a long time, Dela Cruz felt that he would be able to give back and help improve education in the country much more if he could reach out to a greater number of students at a given time. And that would be possible by putting up his own international school for Filipino students.

"My idea of an international school is to produce students with international orientation but with a strong dedication as Filipinos with a big heart. My goal is not to destroy their being Filipino but to strengthen their identity and nationalism. I want to produce Renaissance men and women with 21st century skills who will work hard for their country," stresses Dela Cruz.


ACADEMIC AND MORAL EXCELLENCE
Third year high school student Donalyn Natorilla of DIS in Pulong Buhangin, Santa Maria, says her Darwin education has taught her to be "learned" and not just "formally educated." "Being "formally educated" means one is only excellent in academics. But being a learned individual has both academic and moral excellence," she says.

Her classmate Andrew Pesebre, meanwhile, has learned to think critically and developed the confidence to stand in front of a crowd.

For parent Alvin G. Buenaventura, his son Aaron, this year's class valedictorian and incoming Engineering freshman at UP Diliman, has developed into a walking encyclopedia. He credits this skill to DIS who trained him well. He is confident that his three other children will graduate with the same skills and grow up to be equally responsible and extraordinary citizens.

Like the students, DIS teachers continuously develop to become better educators through constant trainings.

"The trainings have provided me with the techniques on how to maximize the time for each subject, how to deepen the discussions, how to ensure effective student participation and how to facilitate collaborative learning. Therefore, I became goal-oriented, focusing more on target skills that students must learn and the mastery level that they must attain. I am very fortunate that this institution keeps on nurturing me to become an efficient and effective educator," ends DIS head teacher Mary Grace R. Domingo


(SOURCE: http://ph.news.yahoo.com/education-revolution-starts-012020080.html)


********
NOTE:
I would like to thank the author, Rachel Barawid, for the piece. Special thanks goes to the Manila Bulletin's Education Section Editor, Ivy Lisa F. Mendoza. - PROF. ROLANDO S. DELA CRUZ

A CONVERSATION WITH THE GREATS

A Conversation with the Greats

By

PROF. ROLANDO S. DELA CRUZ
Educating a Nation


May 24, 2012, 3:05pm
MANILA, Philippines —


A FLYING SAUCER IN A GARDEN
The buses first went around the Oblation to familiarize the youngsters whom I brought with me to the State University. Then, they savored the foliage enveloping the academic oval.

As they got off the buses with their parents, the young visitors were enthralled by the round building which was the focus of the visit.

I recalled the feeling when I first visited the UP campus during a high school bivouac. That time, UP to me was a sprawling forest where one could get lost. It appeared to me that my students were also at a lost for a moment, with a question in mind: what is this flying saucer doing here? The UP Chapel looks like an airborne structure if one does not notice the pillars supporting the dome, as the columns are partly swathed by plants.


HUMANISTIC EXPERIENCE
I was a teenager when I first entered the Chapel of the Holy Sacrifice. That time, I was not particularly impressed by it, perhaps because nobody guided me to explore it. How I wish I learned more about the UP Chapel in my freshman Humanities.

Unfortunately, cramming the best of world art in one semester is unrealistic, so there went the UP Chapel. Nonetheless, I pursued the humanistic track as I grew older, that is why I personally endeavored in recovering the things that I thought I missed in college. This is why my Basic Education students study the Humanities as a subject from nursery until high school.

The inspiration of immersing my students in the Humanities came from my personal experience in London and Paris. There, I witnessed pre-school students experiencing a well-rounded, participatory, fun, activity-oriented and well thought-out study tour at the British and Louvre Museums. I figured: no wonder the French and the British people value their identity and national interests in a sea of Europeanism.


THE U.P. CHAPEL
Yearly, I bring my students to places where they will have their own personal encounter with the best of Philippine art and culture. In the UP Chapel, they had a taste of five national artists.

It is the first and only round church in the Philippines. Thus, it is unique in terms of its vision. Leandro Locsin’s architecture deconstructed the traditional four-sided polygon church structure in the country. His de-centering proceeded with the re-centering of the priest, except that this time the physical focal point is not the celebrant but the whole congregation in a rotunda of spirituality glorifying God.

This radical approach by Locsin is aesthetically supported by other artistic expressions from other greats in Philippine art.

Arturo Luz designed the flooring titled “The River of Life”. Each panel of Luz on the flooring emanates from the center flooring, radiating like rivers of petals, if not petals of rivers, towards passage ways that literally do not have doors.

Vicente Manansala and Ang Kiukok painted the “Stations of the Cross”. Their works panoramically bombard the faithful as if they were verses from the Gospels, only in cubist lines and colors.

Napoleon Abueva, on the other hand, sculpted the crucifix and the marble altar. The two natures of Jesus Christ, both man and divine, expressed in the hanging crucifix beneath the center of the dome remind each member of the church of the promise of physical death on earth and spiritual rebirth in paradise.


A CONVERSATION WITH THE GREATS
My students came into contact with all these magnificent physical renditions of the spiritual. They enjoyably drew their own church: from within, emphasizing its roundness; from outside, highlighting its spaceship-like contour.

Others analyzed the playful shapes on the aisles and recorded them in their activity sheets. Some chose their favorite paintings and copied these using crayons. The remaining students were absorbed by the distinctive two-sided crucifix, creating their plates. Their parents were either assisting them or viewing with them, or both. Like the children, the parents were also learning about their culture.

But more important than the artistic activities in which the students immersed themselves, what impressed me the most was the seriousness and care that these children were capable of while pleasantly undertaking their individual tasks.

They were heedful of the reminder that they must not touch nor vandalize the works to help preserve these so that future generations will have the good fortune to study, too, and appreciate all these beauty. I cannot help but admire the students for their discipline and curiosity to explore these ingredients of their humanity.


An alumnus and former faculty member of UP Diliman, PROF. ROLANDO S. DELA CRUZ is President of the Darwin International School System. He studied in Osaka University (Japan), the University of Cambridge (England) and at the University of Leiden (the Netherlands).

(Source: MANILA BULLETIN, May 24, 2012)

(Source: http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/360335/a-conversation-with-greats)

REVISITING MY YOUTH AT U.P. DILIMAN

Revisiting my Youth at U.P. Diliman

By

PROF. ROLANDO S. DELA CRUZ
Educating a Nation


RETURNING TO MY ALMA MATER

As the buses entered the University Avenue from Philcoa, memories of the 1980s flowed like rivers in my consciousness.

Those were the turbulent ‘80s. Often, classes were boycotted by the Student Council and other student organizations. Radical and sympathetic students, and even some professors, held classes and staged plays on the streets.

Back then, students were politicized by the socio-economic and politico-military tensions. Many students did not only have to contend with “distractions” to traditional learning, but rather combined both street and classroom learning.

It was common then for the lower and middle classes to moan about Philippine underdevelopment. The decade started with the 1981 presidential elections anomaly, followed by the deafening 1983 gun fires at the tarmac, climaxed with the 1986 EDSA Revolution, and ended with a denouement of disappointments. It was an era of intertwined politics and emotion emulating a roller coaster ride.


CHANGES, CHANGES
I recently visited the University of the Philippines in Diliman with my Basic Education students. Security was noticeably heightened, given the recent reports of rape, theft, and other forms of crimes. I reckoned that it was a more tolerant atmosphere way back. The U-Av before, as people would call the main road to the UP administration building, was not strictly guarded all the time. Anyone and any vehicle can pass through it. Yet, we thought then that the period was already the most dangerous days of our post-war life. The 1980s UP Police force can usually be seen only during fraternity rumbles, amiably tolerant.

Today, UP seems to ape the martial law years with the extensive presence of guards in key entrances and exits which, admittedly, is better than risking the lives of its community members to unscrupulous elements. The crimes today on campus, perhaps, are nothing but symptoms of the overall economic as well as moral decay in society.


THE UNIVERSITY IN NATIONAL LIFE
Indeed, the country has changed a lot, for better and for worse. But there are things that do not seem to change, like the attachment on things one experienced as a teenager.

Entering UP, two and a half decades after I first set foot on it, is indeed a homecoming. There are more buildings, one-way street signs, plants lining up the roads, plenty of space for joggers, academic courses, and a lot more freedom for students to choose subjects for their General Education requirement.

But despite these changes, the essence of UP life seems embedded in the consciousness of its graduates. Thus, the effervescent saying: once a maroon, always a maroon. The pride is in the heart. With this pride runs the tradition of alumni who have become important players, again for better and for worse, in national life.

It was in UP where I personally met people whom I only read in my High School books or in newspapers. Many are members of the UP community, while others came to UP since they cannot afford not to be there. Some have become Presidents of the Republic, Senators and Representatives of the Legislature, Justices of the Supreme Court, National Artists, or giants in the world of science and business.

UP is a very dynamic place where one participates in the dialogue between the past and the future, between the impossible and the possible, and between preservation and change. It is so vibrant that it is quite unlikely not to be infected; so forceful that one is inevitably confronted by the challenge to leave a footprint, one way or the other, through deeds that can have an effect on the lives of others. That is what being Iskolar ng Bayan is all about.


A HOMECOMING
I went back to the fold of my alma mater that cultivated me in my earlier years, the university that is nestled in a 493-hectare prime land - with my Pre-school up to High School students from Bulacan. I brought them there not only for them to see the campus of my youth but also for them to feel the UP spirit as I narrate to them the history of struggles in the minds of its constituents.

But more than anything, I brought them there to dream of entering this top school, or any other high-standard university for that matter, when they reach college. Being in such a place will challenge their capacity to imagine not only their own future, but the possible future of a beautiful, united and progressive society.

One day, I want them to have a homecoming of their own: a time when they would have realized that, like children capable of molding clays into incipient sculptures, they are also capable of molding the institutions of their incipient nation.



An alumnus and former faculty member of UP Diliman, PROF. ROLANDO S. DELA CRUZ is President of the Darwin International School System. He studied in Osaka University (Japan), the University of Cambridge (England) and at the University of Leiden (the Netherlands).

(Source: MANILA BULLETIN, May 10, 2012)

(Source: http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/359233/revisiting-my-youth-up-diliman)

REFORM SHOULD BE BOTH RADICAL AND INCREMENTAL

Reform should be both Radical and Incremental

By

PROF. ROLANDO S. DELA CRUZ
Educating a Nation

MASSIVE SUPPORT FOR CHANGE

The administration of President Noynoy Aquino has both fortune and misfortune on its side. It is lucky to be enjoying massive support akin to a post-revolutionary spring of hope. It is in the best position to forward meaningful changes that could have lasting effects, boosted by the trust rating Aquino enjoys. People believe that he is anti-corruption and incorruptible. It is in this context that the K-12, a program which revises the curriculum in Basic Education and extends it by three years, operates.

Aquino is again lucky that he starts implementing K-12 on his second year. The negative impact in terms of additional tuition and other fees on those who will be Grade 7 by June 2012 (1^st Year High School) will start on their Grade 11 which is in June 2016, the month when a new President will take his oath. Any complaints, therefore, for new tuition and other fees for their additional full Grades 11 and 12, will be made when Aquino is already out of power for about 12 months, enjoying his retirement.

HIGH EXPECTATIONS AND PRESSURE

Aquino, however, suffers also from the misfortune of high expectations and pressure. He has to implement K-12 early in his term to harness immediately the support from the people, especially the business sector which looks up to him to implement changes in educating those who will man various industries. He is also pressured to implement a program that cannot be altered immediately by a new President who might be against him or his program. To assure that his program stays, he has to attack the very structure of the educational program of the country.

But implementing the K-12 immediately beginning School Year 2012-13 exposes the program from the same possible problems that all other major reforms had suffered in the past, like the lack of intense ideas and preparation to address the heart of the problem. One really wonders how deep is the preparation of the Department of Education (DepEd) from May 2010 up to May 2012 to implement such a radical reform by June 2012.

QUESTIONS TO ANSWER

Some questions are worth noting, however: 1) Why do most, if not all, schools up to this writing have not received yet the K-12 curriculum, at least for Grades 1 and 7?; 2) Where are the books to be used?; 3) What will happen to the colleges which will have no high school graduates to absorb in SY 2016-17 and SY 2017-18?; 4) Are all High Schools ready to absorb the deluge of excess students during these two school years in terms of capability to produce the quality graduates DepEd expects?; 5) Is the preparation of DepEd enough to produce a new breed of Filipino graduates who can all think critically and creatively, instead of being of the same kind as the country produces now but only with two extra years of schooling?; and, 6) How does the Philippines ensure that it executes K-12 in a way that is correct, effective, efficient, national-life altering, and successful internationally when measured?

Absent concrete answers to all the above questions, the nation will probably be shocked after the product of the K-12 starts graduating by March 2018. K-12 could just be the legacy of success or failure of Aquino in our nation’s history.

HOLISTIC AND INFORMED

Reform has to be holistic and informed of the factors that can undermine it. Indeed, the act of reforming education is an explosive political act. However, the essence of reform which is genuine learning of Filipino children ought not to suffer from the politics of haste, insensitivities and un-historicity. Indeed, reforming Philippine education is one of the most difficult to undertake because it cannot depend only on one man, one party or one Department. Reform has to be made in the context of Philippine politics and culture – sensitive to the weaknesses and strengths of the both ordinary and powerful people, and perceptive as well of the way we value and waste educational opportunities as a people.

Reforming Philippine education should be radical, indeed. But its unfolding has to be inevitably incremental: crossing one island to another at a speed effective enough to take root; its pantheon served by one government to the next without fail and without betrayal; its absorption by the Filipino soul undertaken by one generation to the next until such time we are ready to once more overhaul it not because the Filipino soul is changing but because that soul has to thrive and win in an ever-changing world.

  

An alumnus and former faculty member of UP Diliman, PROF. ROLANDO S. DELA CRUZ is President of the Darwin International School System. He studied in Osaka University (Japan), the University of Cambridge (England) and at the University of Leiden (the Netherlands).

(SOURCE: MANILA BULLETIN, April 26, 2012)

JESSE ROBREDO: PUNLAY UPANG BUMANGON SA KAMATAYAN SI LAZARUS

by

PROF. ROLANDO S. DELA CRUZ

Isang bayani ang muling isinilang sa kamalayan ng bayan. Namatay di sa sakit kundi sa mekanikal na aksidente ng isang eroplano.  Isa itong patunay na ang pagbabasbas ng kabayanihan ay di isinasagawa ng lehislatura at di lamang ng matrahedyang pag-aalay ng buhay. Sa huli, mga ordinaryong tao ang nag-aalay ng mga petal ng pagtingala mula sa tuntungan ng isang pedestal. 

Dati, pinaparangalan si Jesse Robredo ng kanyang mga kababayan sa Naga. Sumunod dito ang pagkilala ng mga institusyon na nalirip ang kanyang pagiging dyamante. Ngayon, buong bayan naman ang nagbibigay-puri: isang bayan na nangangailangan ng mas marami pang bayani. Ang pagpupugay sa kanya ay di lamang pagpapasalamat sa pagiging mabuting halimbawa ng pamumuno. Ito ay pagsasabi na mas marami pang tulad nya ang kailangan ng mga mamamayan ng bayang Pilipinas: Kulang pa, kulang pa, sabi nila. Mas marami pang tulad mo ang nais namin.

Ito ay isang uri ng pag-aalsa ng bayan na tila naiinip sa pagdating na isang tagapagligtas. Isang uri ng pambansang diskurso na sumusubok paigtingin ang mga alon sa dagat ng desperasyon. Isang uri ng pagpapahiwatig na sa katunaya’y nag-aantay ng isang tsunaming magbabago sa takbo ng isang nakababagot na kasaysayan ng  kasinungalingan, pagnanakaw at kataksilan sa bayan.

Maaring walang armas ang bayan sa tulad nitong buhos ng damdamin. Maaring walang kamalayang rebolusyonaryo ang mga ordinaryong nagtitiis sa ilalim ng araw o ulan upang silayan ang kabaong na naglalaman ng isang ideya ng pag-asa. Ngunit sa katotohanan, ang pagkakabalot sa kabaong ng isang bandila, pati na rin ang kalahating-tagdang pagwawagayway nito sa isang Palasyo tulad ng sa buong bayan, at ang pagpuprusisyon ng kanyang pagiging ordinaryong tao sa mga bakubako at balubaluktot na mga kalye ay isang uri ng edukasyon para sa bayan.

Ito ay edukasyon di lamang sa pagiging pinuno, kundi sa pag-uugali ng isang indibidwal; di lamang sa pagiging ideyalista, kundi sa pagsasakatotohanan ng mga balakin; di lamang sa pagiging makabayan, kundi sa pagiging halimbawa sa lahat na naghahangad yumakap sa kabutihan; di lamang sa pagiging isa sa mga pinakamababa ng lipunan, kundi sa pagsasabuhay din ng pamamayani ng batas; at, di lamang sa pagiging maka-Diyos, kundi sa pagiging makatao rin. Ang pagkakatutong tulad nito ang tangi, pinakamahusay, at pangmatagalang sandata ng bayan para mamayani sa tunggalian ng mga interes sa lipunan.

Ang dalamhating bumabalot sa pagkamatay ni Robredo ay uri rin ng edukasyon para sa kabataan at mga darating na henerasyon. Ito ay isang aral na di lamang dapat isinasatitik sa mga aklat kundi isinasapusong dapat tumibok sa pang-araw-araw na buhay . Ito rin ay isang aral, na tulad ng dugong umaagos sa ugat ng bawat bata, ay dapat umagos sa kamalayan – kamalayan di ng bawat idibidwal kundi sa bansa bilang isang organismong nangangailangan ng pagkain sa isip at pagkalinga sa damdamin.

Pinapahintulutan ng Diyos magkaminsan ang kamatayang tulad ng kay Robredo upang tumugon sa pangkasaysayang mga pangarap ng nakararami.  Gayunpaman, di sana kitlin makalawa ng sakit ng maikling memorya ang makinang na halimbawa niya. Maraming bayani na ang iniluklok sa mga pedestal ang nangamatay makalawa matapos muling maidlip sa bangungot ang bayang nasanay na sa pang-aabuso at pagiging alipin. Ang paulit-ulit na kamatayang ito ang requiem sa halos  limang-daang taong burol ng bayang Pilipinas.

Kung kailan magiging tulad ni Lazarus ang  bayang Pilipinas, kung kailan ito magbabalikwas upang lumaya mula sa kamatayan sa kasaysayan, ay isang panaginip na sana’y basbasan ng langit. Subalit ang pagbabasbas ay ibinibigay lamang sa mga bayang karapat-dapat kamitin ito. Dapat maging karapat-dapat ang bansa na tumindig sa daigdig ng mga buhay at tunay na malaya. Ang pagiging karapat-dapat na ito, tulad ng pagsisilang kay Robredo sa sinapupunan ng langit, ay kailangan munang isilang sa puso ng bawat mamamayang Pilipino. Kapag ang tibok ng bawat isa ay sumaliw sa tibok ng iba pa upang bumuo ng pangkalahatan, kikibot ang bawat selula, didilat ang mga mata, gagalaw ang mga daliri, muling tatakas ang pawis sa bawat paghinga, pupusyaw ang mukha, babalutin ng katuwiran ang isip. Kapag nangyari ang mga ito, babangon ang Pilipinas.

12:14 nh

26 Agosto 2012

LEARNING FROM PAST EDUCATION REFORMS

by

PROF. ROLANDO S. DELA CRUZ

MANILA, Philippines — Any country in the midst of quagmire welcomes change. Unfortunately, not all change is for the better.

This is why it is so vital for the government, in its effort to reform Philippine education, to learn from past mistakes.

President Noynoy Aquino’s goal is crystal clear: bring Philippine education to the 21st century. He meets the problem head-on by transforming the current 10-year system (i.e., Grades 1 to 6, and 1st year to 4th year high school) to become the K-12 system with a 13-year required academic program (i.e., Kinder, Grades 1 to 12).

But what is there to learn from the past?

ABORTIVE  NCEE: ENTRENCHED LACK OF QUALITY

One such effort was the imposition in the 1970s of a college qualification through the National College Entrance Examination (NCEE). Those who did not meet the grade cut-off were forced to give up their dream to enter college and instead proceed to vocational courses.

The theory was that the colleges would produce quality graduates since those to be admitted as freshmen were well-prepared. Those unqualified to enter college, thus, were better off in the vocational fields.

Merely raising the bar, however, became useless because it did not solve the problem of quality itself that was virtually unshakable. Worse, an unintended net effect was the creation of a label that the vocational tract is a mark of failure.

The policy proved inutile as the yearly cut-off grade was lowered because more students did not meet it. Its eventual abolition only strengthened the resolve of many to obtain a four-year degree to avoid the stigma of vocational courses. This led to the establishment of commercialized colleges trying to address market demands, further intensifying the crisis of quality.

BOTCHED BILINGUAL POLICY: FAILURE TO UTILIZE LINGUISTIC RESEARCH

Another reform was the bilingual policy intended to make Filipinos proficient in both Filipino and English.

The theory was that subjects related to being a citizen like Filipino, Social Studies and the Arts could best be taught and learned in Filipino, while subjects that could make one competitive in the world of work like English, Math and Science could best be taught and learned in English.

More than three decades later, Filipino students in general are still known to be weak in all these subjects! For instance, Filipino students almost always rank very low in international education studies and surveys in their age brackets in English, Math and Science.

The bilingual policy failed to consider the simple linguistic fact borne of research that people learn best and faster in their own native tongue. A foreign language competing with a local language in the minds of young people is a sure way to raise children in schools half-baked and with severe issues regarding their cultural identity.

Ideally, teaching in various areas using two or more languages could help develop critical and creative thought since multilingual learning could facilitate rewiring of the brain. But this assumes high-standard teaching which, of course, was virtually absent in the country. In the end, bilingualism only damaged the Filipino as a student for its failure to make his mind and heart whole.

REFORM WITH EYES WIDE OPEN

Based on these failed reforms, the Philippines should learn that it pays to study well a measure, not only in terms of the theory behind it but also in terms of its practicality, prospective efficacy and potential drawbacks. To be merely intoxicated by the promise of a potential harvest leads to waste of time and resources.

In the case of the K-12, is the government doing everything it can in order to prevent foreseeable mistakes?

Has the DepEd already learned enough from earlier errors to ensure that policy makers and implementers consider glaring factors that could undermine the success of K-12?

Is the K-12 going to be a solution or a simply catalyst for new problems to evolve, just like what happened to both the NCEE and the bilingual policy?

There are ideas which really look bright, beautiful, logical, relevant, sensible and promising. However, a policy could also turn out to be producing the opposite of its intended outcome. Worse, such policies could even create new situations that might be more difficult to unlock, if not more embarrassing to live with, than the initial problems it sought to solve. The only antidote to these, then, is utmost lucid thinking no less.

An alumnus and former faculty member of UP Diliman, PROF. ROLANDO S. DELA CRUZ  is President of the Darwin International School System. He studied in Osaka University (Japan), the University of Cambridge (England) and at the University of Leiden (the Netherlands).

NOTE: THIS IS A REPOSTING OF AN ARTICLE PUBLISHED IN THE MANILA BULLETIN ON 29 MARCH 2012.

(SOURCE: http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/355720/learning-from-past-education-reforms)

http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/355720/learning-from-past-education-reforms

THE SHAPE-ABILITY OF POSSIBILITY AND UNCERTAINTY: OR HOW CHOICE TRANSCENDS THE LIMITS OF OUR TRAPS

[My friend Riza beautifully wrote a thought on her page that features the majestic sunset (or was it sunrise?) at Shambala. She says: “We can always wait for the sunrise and the sunset… for surely they will come. We can hope for the rain during summer… for sometimes they really pour. But how can we wait for something or someone… when we don’t know if they will come at all… We should only WAIT for something with POSSIBILITY but not for those without certainty.” Thank you Riza for enriching this world with your provoking insights.

Here, I offer an alternative (but not necessarily opposing) take that, hopefully, could form part of a bigger gamut with Riza’s challenging thought.]



I - Possibility is DEFINITELY different from uncertainty. The first is positive; the second, negative. But come to think of it, they both form part of a continuum we call life: the first is like a glass seen half-filled, the second a glass seen half-empty. The thirsty worships the liquid in the container like god, the water-filled belly loathes the liquid it feels unnecessary. The same water of life can be seen differently in another milieu: the possibility of abortion could be happiness to some; the uncertainty of abortion is surreal to others.



II - Life is both sunset and sunrise: it is not defined mainly by our resolve but by how we are positioned in the flow of things, and how we are positioned can sometimes be a trap – much like how the earth traps us. No wonder, traps can create great literature! The traps of space, the traps of distance, the traps of feelings, the traps of slavery in the mind, the traps of capitalism and all other -isms, the traps of seeming emptiness, even the traps of over-purposefulness! But imagine if the earth rotates another way, then the sunrise will actually be the sunset of our lives, and all traps are valued as necessities for genuine joy. For now we cannot fathom the opposite of what we have come to accept. But who are we to say that things could not change if and when God wills it?



III - Science hopes to understand the flow of life and un-life, and strives to influence it: at times successful, yet often a failure. But with some sparks in our being – some crazy thoughts and, perhaps, a dash of philosophizing – we get to appreciate the balance of things, we get to discover some amalgamation of meanings of existence: the negative and the positive, the sunset and the sunrise, the uncertainty and the possibility. Possibility is definitely different from uncertainty. But ONLY FOR NOW! For who am I to say that the possible is indeed possible, and the uncertain indeed uncertain? Like what Job realized before his Creator, there is so much that is beyond my measure of things.



IV - There are a few left, though, that could be a subject of my choice. Indeed it is just a limited list of things for which my choice of the things to wait can be applied, for the coming and going of things I cannot even predict with certainty. For me, I am sometimes challenged by not waiting for the sunrise or the sunset, for I easily cognize what to expect and undemanding recall can sometimes bore humans. I am challenged, though, to wait for the moon that disappears one second when it was there full the previous second, then changes colors from silver to magenta without warning or absent any shadow of fear. Sometimes I relish the impossible when it is yet to be fulfilled – like visions incomprehensible to many a sense – yet this only proves my ordinariness and predictability just like most people, for lack of contentment!



V- There is nothing right or wrong in waiting for anything. What I wait for, I do not expect all others to anticipate for the level of appreciation and abhorrence varies from person to person. And it is not my right to judge anyone what he likes if I dislike it. For in the end, it is just a choice which is that to wait for and hope for in this world and beyond – whether it is heaven or hell. And I cannot even blame the others, if they do not wait and hope for anything at all. BECAUSE that is their choice; AND that is their choice.











4 March 2011

2:25 am

THE TEACHER AS INTERVIEWEE

It was a great experience to be interviewed by one of the country’s foremost columnists, Ms. Rina Jimenez-David of the Philippine Daily Inquirer last Friday, February 4, 2011.



She was very nice, but very incisive than anything else. She was friendly, but she spoke with solid integrity. I will be a hypocrite if I do not admit that I am big a fan of the writer for decades now, who has become very well known not only because of her columns but also for her appearances on TV shows as panelist or social critic, and for her causes relating to women’s concerns and community development.



Judging from the many columns that she has written which I have read previously, I really thought that her lengthy interview of me will be featured primarily as one of her four- to five-section column. To be interviewed by her was, indeed, honor enough. That she even spoke lengthily about what Darwin International School has been doing in educating the youth, devoting her whole column today on Darwin – its goals, dreams, activities, challenges and results – honors the school, its parents, its personnel and, most especially, its students no end.



To thank Ms. Jimenez-David is in order. But the best way, perhaps, of thanking her is to continue what I love doing, and to do it even more with faith for the youth and passion for educating the nation – teaching Filipino students well, with the solution of current educational problems in mind. And I say this with one objective truth in mind: no school can accomplish its goals in a vacuum. Society, culture, institutions, policies and the whole educational system all enhance or impinge on the effectiveness of a school to contribute to the community. Surely, teaching alone is no guarantee of contributing to social development; it could even aggravate problems if educating people is not seen as a prime tool in social engineering. But engineering social development is something that is easier said than done.



It takes a penetrating writer to delve into the heart of her interviewee. An ordinary writer uses words to ask, write about her topic and make a point. But a good writer uses her heart to feel the pounding of another heart; she uses her mind to talk to society at large. Words are mere slaves of her beliefs; she is the master of her piece. A writer is not just a commentator but a human who is capable of feeling trends and reading social forces. She is a social actor of her milieu. She co-writes with the rest of the people the history of freedom and progress we all hope to attain.



The title Ms. Jimenez-David gave her piece, “The Little School That Could”, speaks precisely of what I have always believed all along: that quality education is not just about big campuses but about big hearts for the learner’s yearnings; that teaching is not about perfect teachers but near-perfect love of teachers for teaching; not just about gargantuan facilities (though, there is nothing wrong with vast facilities per se) but about grand visions for the students’ future. It is not just about the process of working hard but of raising standards and working hard to achieve these for the benefit of the students.



Teaching well is working with disparate resources like musical instruments which, nonetheless, are capable of creating a harmonious melody. I thank Ms. Jimenez-David for giving Darwin a space to sing its song of hope amidst deafening despondency plaguing our nation at this juncture of our history.









8 February 2011

11:50 pm







FRIENDS:

You may follow this link to read the piece written by Ms. Rina Jimenez-David titled “THE LITTLE SCHOOL THAT COULD”.

http://opinion.inquirer.net/inquireropinion/columns/view/20110208-319077/The-little-school-that-could

DARWIN'S UP, ATENEO AND LA SALLE PASSERS!

As a teacher, one feels delighted to see his students conquer their fears and eventually achieve their goals. For many a fourth year high school student in the Philippines, graduating from school does not go without dreaming to get into the top schools of the country, including the University of the Philippines, Ateneo de Manila and the De La Salle University.



Yearly, at least 75,000 take the UPCAT, with all hopes of getting a slot in the state university. Unfortunately, there are only a few thousand slots. Yearly, only 5 to 10% of the takers pass the examination, one of the most difficult college entrance tests in the Philippines. I am very proud to note that 11 of my 19 graduating students at Darwin International School made it to the UP system for the coming school year. This is about 60% of the total, fortunately higher than Darwin’s 50% achievement last year. My heartfelt congratulations go to the following:

1. Julie Anne Acierto

2. Dominic Gilbert Emiterio

3. Ma. Cecilia Enriquez

4. Hector Evangelista III

5. Jamee Kaye Fabros

6. Rei Pauline Hermogenes

7. Maria Divina Hernandez

8. Cynthia Marizze Mendoza

9. Mark Mico Montecillo

10. Shiela Inna Sinsuat

11. Timothy Jemuel Talusan



Wait! The good news continues! The Ateneo de Manila University already released, too, the results of the Ateneo Entrance Test (ACET). Yearly, only 25% of Darwin graduating students passed the exam, an indication of how difficult it really is. This year, however, 8 out of 19 made it! That’s 42%, almost double Darwin’s yearly result. Congratulations to the following:

1. Dominic Gilbert Emiterio

2. Jan Voltaire Enriquez

3. Jenelle Faustino

4. Rei Pauline Hermogenes

5. Maria Divina Hernandez

6. Cynthia Marizze Mendoza

7. Shiela Inna Sinsuat

8. Timothy Jemuel Talusan



But the good news does not stop there! De La Salle University has already announced the results of its college entrance exam. And guess what, 100% of Darwin’s graduating students made it! Last year, it was 92% passing rate. Now, this batch finally made true to their goal of achieving a 100% result. Congratulations to the following:

1. Julie Anne Acierto

2. Harold Balandra

3. Jade Ibhar Cuambot

4. Dominic Gilbert Emiterio

5. Jan Voltaire Enriquez

6. Ma. Cecilia Enriquez

7. Hector Evangelista III

8. Jamee Kaye Fabros

9. Jenelle Faustino

10. Rei Pauline Hermogenes

11. Maria Divina Hernandez

12. Cynthia Marizze Mendoza

13. Mark Mico Montecillo

14. Maria Cia Cirelle Panol

15. Avvie Yvone Reyes

16. Marian Suzanne Sagun

17. Shiela Inna Sinsuat

18. Shiela Loure Sinsuat

19. Timothy Jemuel Talusan



This batch of Darwin students, Batch 2011 (BATCH KABAITAN), earned the honor of having the most number of individual passers in UP and Ateneo so far, the batch that has broken the yearly 25% passing rate in Ateneo by almost doubling it to 42%, and the batch that first got a perfect 100% passing mark in the De La Salle University exam.



The above passing rates simply point that all graduating students of 2011 have been placed in the top schools of the country once more, not to mention other top schools like UST, Mapua and Sab Beda where Darwinians normally pass at 100% rating. The standards of Darwin are very high. It is very demanding, expecting a lot from students. They have to maintain a minimum of 85% every grading period. It fascinates me to realize that these students have accepted the challenge to always compete against themselves than compete with others. Realizing one’s weaknesses and strengths are keys to setting a vision for oneself. These students of mine just set their vision to be with some of the top college students of the country and be under the tutelage of the best college teachers of the land. But they could have not done what they have done without the full support of their parents who are always with them in their journey. So, my congratulations go most especially, as well, to their parents. You are some of the most fortunate parents of this country for having children with big dreams; and your children as so fortunate, too, for having loving and responsible parents like you!



Your journey, my dear students, has just begun. You should continuously thank God for all His blessings, and ask Him for endless mercy and guidance in your incredible  trek. There are more and higher mountains to scale. Have confidence in yourself that you can successfully chart you life at this dark stage of our society. It is in the young that this country depends on to illuminate somehow our history. And for as long as young people will accept the challenge to participate in changing not only one’s life but also one’s social system, there will always be hope for the Philippines. Your having passed the UPCAT, ACET and the De La Salle Entrance Exam is another beginning. There will be more uncertainties, disappointments and even doubts you need to subjugate. There will be more missions to embrace, dreams to live, bigger beginnings you need to work hard for to start, numerous challenges to surmount and endless successes to enjoy and inspire other with.



Carpe Diem! God bless all of you.







15 January 2011

3:51pm