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VIDEO COURTESY OF BROWNSUGAR PRODUCTIONS

When it comes to fame, education goes out the window

This week's hottest issue is the Philippines Department of Education's (DepEd) alleged banning of the National Broadband Network star witness Mr. Rodolfo "Jun" Lozada.

For the most part of the week teachers organizations, religious groups, and private organizations complained about DepEd banning Mr. Lozada from visiting schools. This weekend, it's the turn of the students to air their side.

Let us make a few things clear:

1. In an order published by DepEd, no word that means ban (forbid, outlaw, prohibit, veto, bar, proscribe, disallow, interdict - courtesy of Microsoft Word Thesaurus) is written.

2. There is absolutely no Rodolfo, Jun, or Lozada in that order.

3. The order was published even before Lozada organized his school tours.

4. DepEd is mandated to provide basic (elementary and high school) education.

5. The order covers graduation ceremonies of elementary and secondary schools only.

You wait for six or four years to finish school and look forward to a good advice on how to survice high school or what course to take in college. Then come graduation day, all you hear is the political scene of the country.

The bone of contention, I believe, is paragraph 3 of the order that reads "The graduation rites should be conducted in an appropriate solemn ceremony befitting the graduating students and their parents and shall not in any way be used as a venue for political forum." But still, there is no mention of Mr. Lozada there.

Yet they keep on saying that DepEd is banning Mr. Lozada. Now, they even say that DepEd backtracked it's "ban" when no ban was ever made.

These people are educated.

These people are in or has finished college.

And yet they forgot that they used to do research first before they went to class and delivered their report.

And this bothers me.

Is it because they just want their faces shown on television? Or their voices heard on the radio? Or their names printed on paper or posted on the web?

Why don't we celebrate the fulfillment of our years of work first, and talk politics later?

What do you think?

Believe on your own

There is a tendency for us to criticize the work of others. Often, suggestions are given which should be most welcome. But why is it that some people make criticisms without any constructive suggestions? And why is it that some people criticize the work of their countrymen and make it look like their countrymen could not achieve what people from other countries had?

I have read the column of Dr Isagani Cruz, a former Undersecretary of the Department of Education during the time of the late Secretary Raul Roco. His criticisms on the Cyber Education Program of DepEd by far are objective (it is a 3-part series) but he did not offer any suggestions on those subjects.

What touched me is that in his second installment, he discussed how other countries faired in implementing a distance education program similar to Cyber Ed. Most of the countries included were reported to have certain degrees of shortcomings in the way they implemented their programs. After discussing each country, he asks questions like "if they failed in this how can DepEd succeed in it" or "if they can't do this, how can DepEd be able to do it."

Dr Cruz is still to publish part three and I am hoping there is a redeeming portion there because what I think he presents in this second installment is that our education department, where he once spent sometime as one of the senior officials, can not achieve or surpass what other countries can do.

I have always believed that the Filipino can go beyond what others can do. It was a Filipino who designed flourescent lamp that was patented by GE because of the failure of the government to have it recognized. The last time I have heard, it was a Filipino who designed the moon rover used in the lunar landings in the early seventies. The Filipino can always surpass what others can do or where they fail. And I still believe the Filipino can go beyond the limits other nationalities think we cannot reach.

When will we start to believe that we can be better than what we are now? That we can be better than what they are now? When will we ever begin to support someone who have surpassed our capacity to allow that person to bring us higher?

Until we stop living like the stereotyped Filipino with crab-mentality that people think we are, we will not be able to get beyond our barriers.

Choosing a career

On August 28, the Department of Education of the Republic of the Philippines will be conducting its National Career Assessment Examination to all public and private 4th year high school students.

The NCAE is aimed at assessing the possible career tracks of each student. This will help guide students at the course they will likely to succeed in.

Most Filipinos dream of having at least one child finish college. Due to the large number of families in the lower income bracket, the hopes are left with the eldest child. They either finish their degrees draining up most of their families resources or they skip college and immediately go to work.

Most popular professions are: entertainers, actors, dancers, physical therapists, nurses, doctors, and teachers. Most of those try to get into the arts are disappointed not because they lack talent but because there is a lot of competition and there are just too many others with even better talents. As for those trying to get into the medical professions, they are not simply cut out for the medical field and end up dropping out of college after a short stay.

Children have a lot of career options in mind. Parents too have career options for their children. Which among these options should they choose? I know this dilemma personally because I had lots of career options myself. I thought of becoming a lawyer, a priest, a successful entrepreneur, or a soldier. I even dreamed of a career as Global Dictator!

With the results of the NCAE, students and parents can better decide on what career path to choose where the child will likely to meet success. If the results point to a career in arts, the student may enroll in an art class or a certificate course in the arts in any university. If the results show that the child has a capacity in academics, that child may take up any course in college based on the result of sub-domains in Science and Mathematics. Other career options are for the student to take up technical-vocational courses or an entrepreneurial course.

Most people fear that the NCAE may become an obstacle to a college degree. This is not true since there is no law passed providing the exam this authority. DepEd plans to make the NCAE as such in the future anyway.

For those who think that college is the only way to success, please reconsider. Although a college degree is needed to be employed or promoted, most company policies I have read also considers equivalents to a degree.

The Technical Educations and Skills Development Authority of the Philippine Government offers certifications for technical-vocational course graduates. A National Certification Level III (NC3) I thinks is equal to a college degree. Following this trend, NC4 and NC5 are equivalents of a masters or doctoral degree.

So kids, troop down to your schools on Tuesday, August 28 and take the test. Who knows, you may end up having a higher position in a company compared to someone who took the college degree you have dreamed of.