Where's the funny stuff?

he was the clown given the go-ahead to start the ball rolling far from Ilocos del Norte, to rename the airport,
such as Paola is pulling the strings in Antique far from the madding crowd in Davao

 

I haven't really paid much attention to the college curriculum over there, but got a look at my nieces 1st year 1st sem schedule and had to smile. They are even doing PE remotely so they so they have to create a tik tok like video and submit it to the teacher for credit. This explains a lot.

 

Yes, it does make you wonder what is going on in some minds. This is maybe not so bad, but last school year, my child graduated PE remotely and without moving a muscle.

 

This made me wonder what well respected institutions like Silliman University offer. You can't make up this stuff.

Here are some representative classes:
National Service Training Program
Personality Enhancement Program (I really like this class name)
Reading and interpreting Christian scriptures
etc

Half the second year and the third year look decent.
The forth year has hardly any classes.
Take out the PE classes and the silly classes and this should be a two year program.

https://su.edu.ph/academic-offering...istration-major-in-human-resource-management/

 

Basically, it is the same problem with whatever course in college you look at, but even elementary schools and high schools are no better.
There are huge problems with education in this country, and it is exposed year after year in the international comparisons of student capabilities that are done by reputable institutions. PISA, done by the OECD, and TIMMS of the IEA.
The Philippines persistently scores lowest in such comparisons, sadly.

Obviously it is not because of a lack of talent in students, there are multiple things structurally wrong with the education system.
For starters, the education of teachers just isn't up to standards.
Then there's the long school days from 7:30 am until 5 pm, kids just can't concentrate that long.
Also the habit of kindergarten type "school projects" that just translate into a shopping list for the parents, which is basically down to lazy teachers who prefer stuff they can "grade" by just looking at it rather than having to read through an essay for every student.
Another thing that annoys me endlessly is the "no class tomorrow" for whatever no good reason.

And then the system where you keep all kids together in the same school type all the way to the end of senior high is just not productive enough. What I mean is that when you have highly talented students (a) in the same class as students with average talents (b) and those less talented (c), then (b) will dictate the speed of instruction while (a) looks out of the window feeling bored, and (c) is on their tiptoes all the time and still struggles to learn.
Much better to have different types of high school and a system to test for talent at the end of primary school and advise parents accordingly, plus optionally an entry exam for the high school of choice.
Then (a) could attend a 6 year high school with a more challenging curriculum preparing for university aiming to get a masters degree, while (b) could go through 4 or 5 years high school and proceed with a college course and (c) would do a 3 year type high school followed by a Tesda type vocational course.
I know there are a few "science high" schools around, but those are way too exclusive now, and too scarce.

Obviously, what also matters is how much money is available for education. The Philippines spends around 3.2% of GDP on education, in most western countries it is about double that percentage (of a much higher GDP). On a "per child" basis the comparison gets even more extreme.

 

[QUOTE="
Obviously it is not because of a lack of talent in students, there are multiple things structurally wrong with the education system.
For starters, the education of teachers just isn't up to standards.
Then there's the long school days from 7:30 am until 5 pm, kids just can't concentrate that long.
[/QUOTE]

Class size also makes a difference. There are classes here that are 50 students per teacher and I am confident that schools in Manilla and other large cities double that.
It's another example of how the socioeconomic status is widening. The one's with money can afford the private Chinese or other foreign run schools vs. the lower economic families that cannot.
The students that do make it collage and beyond should be noticed- but then they need to find work.

Currently I have a 2 guys that each graduated with a real degree in electrical engineering but can't find work. The electric co-op says they are to old to be full time (in their 40's) so if they want to work it would be as a contact rate that is lower than standard and no benefits.

Covid brought one back from Saudi and now he can't find a new contract as an OFW. He is now trying to get registered as a security guard.

The other has started farming because it's expected he will make more on 3 crops of corn than he did on his previous contract salery.

Both deserve well more than what I pay on a daily labor wage. I pray that each has sucess and when I call and ask if they can come over to help with basic property stuff they say "no sir" I need to go to work.

 

Going further on this theme from Dutchie & GBT:

As I see it; one of the problems is what I call "professional school kids" i.e. supposed teachers - the majority of these have never done anything other than go to school. From the age 5-18 they go to various forms of school then college to get a degree in teaching - only to return to school but the other side of the desk. They will only ever pass on the way in which they were taught and the incumbent low level of educational curricula. This is further exacerbated by the kids having to pay "homage" by way of gifts to their teacher or their grades are reduced. Also, teachers and their superiors, inflate the marks submitted by around 20% in order to make the school deped target and get their bonuses.

So we have kids going to school whose family cannot afford the expected "homage" being marked down by a lazy gfn (days off at will). There begins the lesson breeding corruption!

I have experience of a particular situation in a college where the so called "tutor" didn't fully understand the subject he was trying to teach - as a consequence of his inability to teach the subject, and thereby impart the requisite knowledge, 120 students failed the examination and were back-classed a whole year. This had a direct and profound effect on the students, their families and livelihood yet there is no recourse back to the college or teacher. The majority left to find work as their families could not afford to send them to college for an extra year. An extremely sad situation for the students and their families.

If the country really wanted a good educational system for their kids then those in power could quite easily invoke it - but it's not necessarily in their interest to do so.

I could go on but my soapbox is splitting.

 

For those that can afford it, send your child to a private school. Start them as early as possible. Additionally, Kumon is an international Japanese-style learning program for supplemental learning in a few areas like math, at least a year ahead of all schools here.