I came face to face with what I may call the state of Philippine public school education last week. I was one of a team who administered a test to public school teachers and the experience has been an eye opener, albeit a disheartening one. I had the misfortune of witnessing first hand how teachers would easily resort to cheating. I wouldn’t feel so bad if it were only a few but it was like half of them who asked their seatmates for answers.
To me, teaching is the most noble of all professions. It is the only profession that makes other professions. Seeing how easy it is for our public school teachers to cheat, as if it comes naturally and it is the most normal thing to do under the circumstances, makes me think of all the children they have educated and would educate in this environment. No wonder we have crooks in different places in our society. We are teaching them at school, not by what we say but by what we do.
I am also a product of the public school system and I’m glad I have not witnessed or made to participate in any form of cheating by school authorities. However, I heard some teachers, perhaps with the blessing of their supervisors, changing the result of NAT or arranging for bright students to sit in the place of those who are poor performers during Division tests. Hopefully these are just isolated cases.
I asked the teachers what they do to students caught cheating during exams. One answered, perhaps in jest, that they turn the other cheek so that students from upland areas will be able to pass. I was appalled! You don’t help students to pass by letting them cheat. You help them by tutoring them. No matter how noble your intention, cheating is not the way to go.
I have taught college student part-time for around five years and I quit because I thought I don’t give justice to what they pay with the amount of time I was able to give them due to my busy schedule. In all those years I never tolerated cheating and have even failed some students I caught cheating.
I have deep respect for teachers since I believe it is more of a vocation than a profession. It takes a lot of love for the students and dedication to the profession to be able to endure the challenges and pressure. That’s why I was so deeply saddened by what I have witnessed and what I now believe to be the sad state of our public school education.
I saw a glimmer of hope when I chatted to some of them. There are those who are teachers in every sense of the word. But just like tomatoes, the rotten ones are bound to contaminate the good ones. All it takes is for the good ones to do nothing and not all the good ones occupy higher positions.
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Hi Glads..
Its sad……our dear teachers resorting to cheating just to complete requirements. Its good thing you wrote this in your blog..at least a few might be able to read it and change for the better. Are they familiar with blogs?
Thanks for visiting mamlei! I guess it’s too much to expect those who are guilty to change. They have been tolerated for a long time that they feel it’s ok. The exam I was referring to was actually in preparation for the election. We were tasked to give them written and practical exam which if they pass, the office will certify them as IT capable. The automated election law states there should be at least one in every clustered precinct who will man the PCOS machine. If you experienced frustration over some BEIs during the election, then that’s how we felt when we were administering the exam to them. Had we been so strict, half of them may not be certified IT-capable. But in fairness to those who are good, they were a big part of the success of the automated election. Some are ready to risk their lives for the election.
As to blogging, I think the CITC has ISchools Camp Blog for the SUCs. Hopefully they can extend it to the public high schools. Blogging can be a good educational tool also. Hopefully there will be more batches of DTIs PCPS to equip our public schools.
On a personal note, I miss you guys. Gakamalhan ko laway di sa pihak.