Community Journalism

“Wala siguro sa klase ko na wala,” Ma’am Vicente stated, referring to problems that students have. A student in 7th grade then confided to Ma’am Vicente regarding her abuse. He father had allegedly raped her repeatedly since 4th grade since her mother left to work abroad and decided to remarry. The student was compelled to tell the authorities when his father started abusing her sister once she started 4 th grade.

 

Public schools in the Philippines experience challenges and are evident upon observation. It is written in the 1987 constitution that the “State shall assign the highest budgetary authority to education.” The 2018 national budget allotted Php 555.31 billion to the Department of Education (DepEd), coming in 2nd to the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) with Php 637.86 billion.

 

Referring to funds, Faye Geronimo of the Obando National High School says “most of the time, it is insufficient. Kailangan gumawa ni teacher ng way to fill up kung ano man yung kulang”. Her mother, who used to be a teacher and principal at the same school, notes that not much progress has been made since then.

 

As a mother, Ma’am Geronimo’s salary that is supposedly for her family goes to supplies instead. The same situation applies to Ma’am Vicente who takes care of her nieces and nephews.

 

A list that was released by DepEd back in 2016 states that Ernesto Rondon National High School was given a budget of Php 503,000.00 while Obando National High School was given Php 499,000.00, all of which were intended for personnel services compared to Quezon City Science High School’s Php 2,156,000.00 and Manila Science High School’s Php 2,715,000.00 budget.

 

While excellence is expected from Science High Schools and awards and recognitions from different fields pay off for their budget, their quality of education is better compared to those who have less. Those from non-science public schools have to endure the student population and lack of resources.

 

With this, teachers have to compensate for the lack of teaching materials. When they themselves run out of ink or paper, they have no choice but to ask students to pay a peso for printing. “Sisingilin mo ng piso eh wala ngang pad paper eh, piso pa kaya,” said Ma’am Vicente.

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Some teachers from private schools opt to transfer to public schools because of the benefits, but Ma’am Geronimo explains how public school teachers have bigger figures yet take home less because of the deductions. Having to support 2 kids and provide the materials for her students, she can barely make ends meet. I

 

n January 2018, President Duterte announced that he wanted to increase public school teachers’ salaries, double of soldiers and police officers. The said increase was supposed to happen between 2018 and 2019, yet no part of it has been implemented in both districts.

 

The last increase that they had had been implemented during former President Benigno Aquino Jr.’s presidency. Currently, the program is on its third tranche and the last one will be on 2019. Their basic salary was said to increase by 11% yet this was divided into four parts. Ma’am Vicente, however, remains optimistic about the salary increase by 2020.

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Public schools accommodating a large number of students per class can greatly affect the teachers’ way of teaching due to individual differences. In order to resolve overpopulation in classrooms, DepEd has released a memorandum that only permits 40 to 45 students per room.

 

With such student, different approaches should be provided to students with different attitudes and behaviors. A student’s misconduct is recorded and when repeated all over again, parents attention is called. If not resolved, it is then forwarded to the guidance counselor.

 

In order to embrace diversity in class, Ma’am Vicente says that she divides students into groups depending on their interests and pace of learning. There are students who are fast learners and are able to catch up with the lessons quickly, while learn at a different pace. She uses her own checklist for noting the capability of a certain group of students.

 

With this, she is able to reach each and every student. With all the problems that public school teachers face on a daily basis, Ma’am Geronimo thinks that the hardest part is sacrificing her time with her family in order to comply with the requirements. In a day, she spends 1 to 2 hours preparing lessons for the next day. 5 to 6 hours are spent checking papers, longer if the questions are item analyses.

 

“The hardest part of being a public school teacher is having no money…personal funds for all the interventions that you want to do for your children, for your students,” Ma’am Vicente says. "Kasi minsan may gusto kang gawin pero kulang ka sa funds kasi kailangan para sa personal na pangangailangan so di mo magawa.”

 

Despite all these problems, both teachers chose to stay in public schools instead of teaching in private schools in spite of the comfort they provide. They both would rather make a difference in less-privileged students’ lives rather than stay in air-conditioned rooms all day.

 

“Imagine-in mo, ang mga public school students ay ang mga batang nangangailangan. Maging bahagi ka nito at makita mo silang mag succeed balang araw, maging part ka ng ano nila. Napakalaking accomplishment para sa teacher,” said Ma’am Vicente.

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Ma’am Geronimo also shares the same sentiments about her students. “What makes it worth it is seeing them succeed in their own chosen career at yung mararamdaman mo na kahit after many years naalala ka pa rin nila,” she said.